Fantasia Krystallos
by Tsukisamu Sayako
Summary: He was the heir to a throne he didn't want. "She" held a secret that could destroy them both. Fate has brought them together. Now, they must choose between duty and love, between tradition and freedom. Does happiness or death await them? AU Roxas/Sora
1. Hope

**Hope**

* * *

The castle had a lot of people, but it felt lifeless. The walls were painted soft beige and glimmered with crushed crystals that had been mixed in with the paint. The end result was a brilliant light show when the sun hit the individual pieces. But to the prince, it had no life. The light was just a byproduct of the opulence shown throughout the royal residence.

His footsteps clicked crisply on the lacquered floor, one of the many uncarpeted corridors that ran along the outer wall of the main building. It was yet another way to showcase the crystalline wall, letting the pieces of glass cast their kaleidoscopic light onto the polished wood.

The few servants assigned to maintain these corridors quickly stopped what they were doing and bowed in respect to the heir to the throne. He simply walked past them with an air of indifference. He knew that they were all watching him closely, making sure that he didn't do anything that their king would find disagreeable. He had only a few allies in this cold palace.

The red-haired man who practically followed him everywhere was certainly not one of them.

He stopped sharply in front of a set of decorated wooden doors: the symbol of Hollow Bastion etched into the thick wood, bordered by a frame of leaves and vines that were covered with gold foil. Each time a piece of foil began to peel off, a craftsman would cover the exposed part of the frame with more gold foil. The wastefulness made the prince sick; but then again, everything about the king made him sick.

He straightened the black jacket over his pressed white silk shirt out of habit, frowning at his own inability to cease this self-conscious habit in making himself look presentable to the king time after time. He bit back a growl, swallowing the guttural sound consciously.

Raising his right hand, he rapped the wood sharply with two knuckles and waited for the doors to open and admit him. A muffled "enter" followed by the double doors opening granted him entrance into the king's study, where the older man had been meeting with four of his advisors.

The black-haired king looked toward the door to find his heir entering the room stiffly. He stopped just a few feet from the entranceway and gave a curt bow of respect.

"Excuse us, gentlemen," he said, dismissing his advisors with a wave. The four men bowed simultaneously and took their leave. The prince didn't spare them any glances as they passed by him. The servants closed the doors to give them privacy.

"Your majesty," the prince greeted tersely, his eyes staring directly at the current king of Hollow Bastion.

"I wish you would call me 'father'," the king said with displeasure. "You are going to inherit the throne when I'm gone after all."

"With all due respect, _your majesty_," the prince emphasized the reference to the king, "you are not my father."

He would have added the part about the fact that he didn't ask for this position, to take the throne in the footsteps of the king who had chosen him to be his heir. But there was no point in voicing his unhappiness, not when it would change absolutely nothing in his life. He was bound to this role and only death would release him from his fate.

"You should be happy that you will be king." The current ruler looked out the gilded windows that admitted light into the chamber. A prosperous city bustled around the castle, filled with people who were none-the-wiser of the higher powers that controlled their kingdom. "The Council has given their blessing to your future. Hollow Bastion will see no conflicts against her borders during your reign."

The prince pressed his lips together, restraining himself from exploding with rage. The antiquated Council was made up of five seemingly immortal beings who saw fit to judge the fates of the kingdoms of this world. Empires were built up only to be wiped out on a whim by the Council, who controlled the world's largest army. Not even all the kingdoms' armies combined could do battle against this "holy" army and hope to win.

"Your majesty called me here," the prince said, choosing not to respond to the information over the blessing. In turn, the king chose not to gauge the teen's feelings over the matter as well, only watching his face as he spoke of the reason for their meeting.

"The Council has decreed that you find a bride by your next birthday," he said. "A ball will be held next full moon for you to find such a woman."

"And if I do not find one?" the teen asked.

"There will be more balls until your next birthday," the black-haired king simply answered.

"And if I do not choose one by my birthday?" the teen dared to ask.

The king looked at him grimly. "Then one will be chosen for you."

He knew that his marriage was just a farce, a continuation of a tradition made pointless when the Council was to dispose of the ruler's spouse after the coronation ceremony. That was how the Council maintained control aside from their military might—keeping the individual monarchs without blood heirs so they can extend their power over more people. While the prince didn't wish for an early death to a stranger, there was nothing he could do short of committing suicide.

"Very well," he said stoically, bowing to end their brief meeting. He then left the room without a departing word.

The king watched with a frown as the yellow-haired teen left the room swiftly. He had hoped that the boy would grow to become a dutiful heir when he found him a decade ago. But it would seem that the boy had only grown resentful of the king's "generosity" the older he got. There was still time to break the boy's spirit, but the Council had been growing impatient with his efforts. Perhaps it was better to let the Council deal with the boy before he took the throne.

"Axel," he called to the servant that had been hiding in the shadows. The fiery-haired man with emerald green irises and teardrop tattoos underneath each eye stepped out from behind a thick drape and bowed to the king. "Watch him carefully," he commanded. "I don't want him to go to the outside world."

"Yes, sire," the servant bowed again and left through one of the many secret passageways in the castle to catch up to the prince.

It was as the yellow-haired teen surmised: his personal servant was no friend. And he was just a puppet to be disposed of once he had outlived his usefulness.

* * *

"Fresh bread!" a young voice called to potential buyers as they walked through the bustling marketplace to purchase goods. "Fresh bread for sale!"

"Still have more of that sheepherder's bread, Sora?" an elderly woman asked hopefully as she neared the stall from his blind side.

"Good morning, Myrna!" greeted the vendor with a bright smile. "We have plenty of sheepherder's bread for your husband."

"I'll take two loaves then," the woman said, smiling back at the cheerful teen.

"All right," grinned the bread seller. He quickly wrapped up two fresh loaves of their popular bread in the length of cloth the woman handed him. "That will be thirty gil."

"You really ought to think about raising the prices," Myrna laughed. "I can't imagine how fifteen gil a loaf earns you a profit!"

Sora only smiled. "We're just happy to sell good bread, Myrna." He exchanged the package for the handful of coins she handed him. He quickly counted that the woman gave him the correct amount and placed them into a money bag behind the stall.

"Well here," she said, handing him a five gil coin. "Get some treats for yourself and Kairi. I won't have my favorite bakers be without spending money. Maybe you should buy Kairi something nice, eh?" she added with a wink.

The vendor blushed at his customer's suggestion and accepted the coin graciously. "I dare say that we get spoiled enough by our regulars," he grinned.

"No sense to not show our appreciation for good food," laughed Myrna. "Tell Kairi that her dress is ready, you hear?"

"Will do, Myrna!" Sora waved good-bye.

"I ordered a dress?" a voice came from behind him as his co-worker brought out another tray of fresh bread from the bakery behind them. He turned to find a red-haired girl looking at him with amusement before he accepted the tray that she set in his arms.

"Just the second dress in as many years," he replied nonchalantly. "You're still growing."

"It's a good thing we're of the same build," she teased with a whisper, unable to stifle the giggle when her friend flushed red.

They quickly reorganized the loaves on the shelves behind the main stall, greeting more customers and selling more bread together once the daily baking was over.

The two teens were popular in the market with their persistent optimism, even though they lived in one of the many shanty towns outside the high city walls. They always had smiles on their faces and went out of their ways to cheer up even strangers. It was this undying cheerfulness that made their bakery even more popular beyond the great bread they sold. After all, this unadulterated optimism was scarce in this kingdom ruled by plutocracy, where the poor are forced to live in absolute destitution, even for those of noble birth like Sora and Kairi.

Friends since they were young, Sora and Kairi were virtually inseparable, having lived in neighboring estates until Kairi's parents, the Count and Countess Fleuret, died in a carriage crash on a stormy evening. Shortly after, Sora's own family fell into hard times when his father, Lord Caelum, was branded a traitor in the neighboring kingdom of Balamb Garden. They were forced to leave their ancestral homes and go into exile in Hollow Bastion.

Sora's father never recovered after that and died in shame.

Now, the only person the two teens lived for was Sora's mother, who became ill two years ago after caring for the two on her own for three additional years. Whatever wealth they had left was quickly used up for her medicine; but even then, she did not get better.

And that brought them to where they were today: proprietors of a humble bakery, selling loaves of bread to the people who lived in the capital of Hollow Bastion.

When the sun had just passed its zenith, they had just a few more than twenty loaves left to sell with plenty of time to sell them before the day's end.

"I'm off to buy more flour and eggs," Sora said as he counted out the amount of money he would need to make the purchases. He quickly pocketed the coins and made sure they were secure from potential pickpockets. "You going to be alright by yourself?"

Kairi nodded with a grin. "I'll be fine," she said. "I can get Squall and Riku to help out if necessary."

"I'm off then," he grinned back.

"Don't forget about my dress!" she called after him. Sora only waved back in acknowledgment.

The crowd had thinned somewhat as people retreated indoors for their midday meals. Still, there were plenty of workers milling around, transporting cargos from one end of the marketplace to the other. Just as Kairi was moving the loaves from the shelves onto the main counter, she heard a loud commotion coming from the area to her right, curious when the crowd parted for a richly dressed aristocrat followed by a posse.

The area turned deathly silent as the pink-haired man stopped in front of Kairi's bread stall, looking down at the handmade goods patronizingly.

"Welcome," Kairi greeted with a smile. Though she was uneasy in the silence, she remained smiling, hoping that the snooty man would not cause trouble.

The pink-haired man picked up one of the bakery's prized loaves before dropping it onto the ground. He quickly swept the rest of the bread that had been placed carefully on the counter off.

"My bread!" the teen cried, racing around the stall to salvage what she could, but a jeweled hand grabbed onto her right arm, stopping her from reaching the bread as the aristocrat's lackeys stomped on the fallen loaves.

"Hey!" a brown-haired man and a silver-haired teen stepped forward to try and stop the injustice, but two of the lord's posse unsheathed their weapons and pointed at the unarmed peasants.

"How dare you!" Kairi screeched furiously, slapping the lord who had kept her from her goods. The pink-haired man didn't even flinch, knocking the teen to the ground with a backhand slap of his own.

"Kairi!" the silver-haired teen cried, but he was powerless to help his friend. He watched angrily as Kairi picked herself up onto her knees and the pink-haired man crouched down, one hand gripping her chin to force her to look at him.

"You're very pretty, you know that?" the lord smiled in a suggestive manner. "Why don't you come with me? I'll treat you well." His men chortled at their master's insinuations.

"No thanks," she spat, shaking her chin from his grip. "Creep."

The courage that she once had quickly flitted away as she heard more weapons unsheathed.

"What is going on here?" a new voice came. Soft murmurs surrounded them as people wondered who the newcomer was.

Kairi looked up to find a yellow-haired teen dressed sharply in the colors of Hollow Bastion. His ice blue eyes turned soft as they regarded her. The pink-haired lord who had been harassing her quickly stood up and stepped back, his face pale with surprise at the presence of the blonde.

Yet, Kairi had no idea who the boy was. The only thing she could deduce from his appearance was that he was an aristocrat just like the pink-haired creep, yet he was different from the rich snobs of Hollow Bastion. There was a regal air about him.

"This does not concern you, _runt_," the man tried to challenge, but the words came out weak.

"It does when you are terrorizing people," the newcomer returned coolly. He leaned down and asked "Are you okay?" with a soft smile on his face, a smile that wasn't exactly warm. Yet, at the same time, she could feel the sincere concern within the teen. It was as though the unnamed stranger had not shown his emotions very much before. He offered a gloved hand to help her up.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied gratefully, taking the hand and standing back up. She noted that he wasn't much taller than she was. His eyes regarded the bruise on her right cheek with disapproval.

"She's just a peasant," snarled the pink-haired lord who was now agitated by the boy's presence. "Treating her like your equal."

"Be quiet, fool," the boy shot back, glaring at the man behind him from the corner of his eyes. "You had no right to waste her goods." He turned back and bowed to Kairi. "If I can repay the damages-"

"Wait until the king hears about this," the lord threatened.

White light shined in the royal teen's right hand as a silver weapon suddenly appeared dangerously close next the man's neck. The warmth that Kairi thought she saw on the teen's face had instantly evaporated as the stranger stared icily at the now trembling man, who gulped as the teen kept the weapon at his neck.

At the appearance of the weapon, the peasants who had been observing the incident all quickly lowered to their knees, the identity of the stranger confirmed to be that of the prince of Hollow Bastion. Yet, Kairi was much too stunned to realize that her rescuer was actually Prince Roxas d'Tenebrae.

"I could care less if you tell _him_, Marluxia" the boy said coldly. "But I do not take kindly to words of threat. Be glad that I'm not your king yet or your head would have rolled minutes ago for your lack of respect."

He pulled his weapon away from the man's neck. "Now, get out of here before I take back my generosity."

Lord Marluxia sputtered indignantly at the abrupt dismissal and had almost challenged the boy's authority when the prince almost turned around with the elaborate weapon still in his hands. The pink-haired lord swallowed noticeably and hurried away with his posse of lackeys behind him.

With the creep gone, the prince turned back to Kairi, holding one of her hands and kissing the back of that hand in true gentleman fashion. The red-haired girl blushed at the boy's gesture, still curious at the stranger's identity.

"My apologies for your losses," he said, holding his free hand out towards the red-haired servant who had been silent this entire time. "Axel."

"Your highness," the much taller man took a short step and bowed towards the prince.

"My purse, please." His servant placed a heavy money purse into the boy's outstretched hand.

"Here," the prince smiled, placing the bag into the girl's hand. "I hope this is enough to cover the damages."

No one could mistake just how much money was in the purse. The heaviness of it suggested that there was well over a thousand gil in the small cloth bag, most likely in gold and silver coins compared to the copper and nickel coins that were of the lower denominations. Kairi gaped at the stranger's generosity, unsure if she should open the small drawstring purse to look at the shiny coins that would undoubtedly meet her eyes.

"Th-thank you," she manage to stutter out with a blush. The young prince turned to continue on his way through the town within the city walls when Kairi reached out towards him. "W-wait!" she called. "Who are you?"

The prince turned with a soft smile on his face. "You can call me Roxas."

* * *

_Disclaimer: _Kingdom Hearts_ and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: And yet another fantasy-based fanfic, haha. I guess I'm just more comfortable writing these things. The premise behind this story is drawn from multiple sources, including many "Cinderella" type fanfics that I've read over the years. The entire Council idea is more or less a conglomerate idea based on the Occuria from _FFXII_ and the Guild from _Last Exile_, and influenced by Kiome-Yasha's "So Much for my Happy Ending". _

_My main goal with this fanfic is to churn out chapters that aren't too long, which would make regular updating much easier. I'm not certain on how long this story will be just yet, but I have some basic idea where I'm going with this._

_In any case, hope you guys enjoyed this start of a new story. Again, questions and comments are more than welcome._


	2. Illusion

_To reviewers of chapter 1:_

_Blaid: Thanks for the compliment. While I appreciate the thought, I already know where this fanfic is going, so I'll have to politely decline your offer._

_Natsuka Wan: I'm glad you liked it. Hope you'll enjoy the entire fanfic as much as I enjoyed writing it._

_Witch of Tragedies: I hope it's a promising start! Haha._

_Innocent Uke Or NOT: This chapter should answer "how"; well, indirectly._

* * *

**Illusion**

* * *

Word that the rarely seen prince appeared in the marketplace spread like wildfire amongst the general populace. The fact that he had stood up for a commoner against an aristocrat was even bigger news.

Sora was making his last stop of his shopping trip when he was finally informed.

The medicine woman looked up from her grinding stone when she heard the beaded curtain being moved. Her smile froze at the sight of the brown-haired teen who visited her shop on a regular basis, despite the fact that she had told him there was no cure for the illness. A small sack of flour was slung over one shoulder, a brown cloth bag was tied across his other shoulder, and a basket of eggs was in his free hand.

"Good afternoon, Ifalna," the cheery teen smiled. "Aerith not around today?"

"She's out and about selling her flowers," replied the healer, returning to her work, grinding a mixture of pungent herbs that would be infused with tea for medicinal purposes. "Sarah is still the same, isn't she?"

The smile on Sora's face remained bright even though his eyes dimmed slightly at the mention of his mother's name. "She's got some color," he professed, "but still weak."

The honey-blonde sighed melancholically, half wishing she was able to cure the ailing mother and half wishing Sora wouldn't waste his money buying another batch of medicinal herbs that have had no effects in combating the illness.

"You really shouldn't spend your money here," she said for the umpteenth time ever since she realized she couldn't cure his mother. "And I know Sarah shares my sentiments."

"She's family, Ifalna," the brown-haired teen reasoned. "The only family I have left. I can't give up on her."

"Even when she's given up on herself?" replied the elderly woman softly. Sora said nothing, only kept smiling.

The healer stood up from the grinding stone on the ground and unpinned her hair, letting it drape down her back. She dusted off the brown skirt and unrolled the long sleeves of her linen top. Wiping her hands on the dirty apron around her waist, she reached for a small brown bottle on the many shelves that lined the room. It was a bottle that Sora had purchased many times before, all to soothe his mother's cough as well as to bolster her health.

"You know how much it is," Ifalna smiled awkwardly. The teen nodded and handed over the coin that Myrna had given him that morning. He took the bottle and placed it in the egg basket.

"Thank you, Ifalna," he said.

The taller woman shook her head sadly. "You shouldn't thank me," she said. "Sarah has lived this long because of her will to live."

"But you have helped to ease her pain," the teen argued. "I still have to thank you for that."

The beaded curtain cut off whatever she was about to say when another person entered. "Ifalna, you're not going to believe this," the newcomer said eagerly.

"What is it, Yuffie?" she asked, waiting for the exuberant black-haired woman to speak.

"Prince Roxas! People saw him in the marketplace!" the woman who was barely eighteen exclaimed. "He protected one of us!"

Both Sora and Ifalna were surprised to hear that bit of news. "What?" Sora asked, causing Yuffie to look at him. In her excitement and eagerness to tell Ifalna, she hadn't noticed that Sora was there.

"Oh, Sora!" grinned Yuffie. "He helped Kairi!"

"What!" the other two exclaimed simultaneously.

Yuffie nodded excitedly. "Some stupid ass aristocrat came looking for trouble and spoiled some of the bread left, but Prince Roxas came to her rescue and sent Pinky away!"

"Sora, go to Kairi," Ifalna advised the teen. The brown-haired boy nodded and quickly ran out of the healer's shop to return to the bakery.

"Yuffie, tell me everything," she requested. The black-haired woman nodded and began detailing the incident as told to her by one Squall Leonheart.

* * *

Though Yuffie had assured him Kairi was fine, Sora couldn't help but worry for his childhood friend as he raced through the streets to reach the bakery. He slowed when he saw that there wasn't much damage at all. In fact, if Yuffie hadn't told him that some of the bread was ruined, he wouldn't have thought much of the lack of loaves on the shelves at all.

Kairi had just finished sweeping the storefront of the remaining crumbs from the ruined bread when Sora reached the stall. She looked up with a brilliant smile, her heart-shaped face marred only by the black bruise on her cheek where the aristocrat had slapped her.

"Sora!" she greeted happily. Her smile momentarily faded when she found him staring at the black mark on her face. "It's not that bad," she laughed, turning her head as Sora gently caressed it.

"It doesn't hurt?" the boy raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a dull pain," she answered. "Riku put some poultice on it. I think it made it look worse than before."

With Kairi's confirmation that she was fine, Sora surveyed the stall, trying to see if anything had been damaged.

"Lost half of what we had left," Kairi told him, setting the broom aside. "But that's okay. Come on, I have something to show you." She took the egg basket from him and grabbed his free hand to drag him into the work area. She set the basket down next to the working table where they kneaded the bread and pulled out an orange money purse from a drawer.

"Look!" she shoved the tiny bag into his bewildered face. Sora set the other two sacks down and accepted the purse from her, pulling the strings apart to find gold and silver coins within. His mouth dropped open in amazement at the amount of gil within the heavy purse.

"That's from the prince!" she gushed. "Oh gosh, he's so handsome. I think you would've liked him," she added in a whisper, giggling when her friend blushed.

"So it's true?" Sora finally managed to get his voice back. "Prince Roxas was here?"

"Yup," Kairi nodded eagerly. "I was just restocking our loaves on the front counter when this snooty pink-haired creep came and made a mess of things. That's how I got this bruise, because I tried to save the bread and slapped him when he stopped me."

"That's when the prince showed up?"

"A little bit later," she answered, shaking her head. "That stupid creep tried to get me to go with him and join his brothel or something." She sniffed disapprovingly at the man's suggestions, quickly continuing her story when Sora frowned.

"Anyway, I called him a 'creep' and then his lackeys took out their weapons, probably to kill me if their master wanted it."

"Were you scared?" Sora propped himself onto a nearby counter to listen carefully at the engaging tale.

"Of course," she confessed. "You would be too, you know."

Sora chuckled in response. "Yeah. And then?"

"Well, suddenly, _he_ came along and interrupted the entire thing, helping me to my feet and even asking me if he could pay for the damages. He was really sincere but didn't seem at ease with expressing himself. I didn't know who he was; actually, no one knew who he was at the time. Anyways, that creep threatened him, saying something about telling the king about this incident. His highness got mad and 'whoosh', a silver sword flashed into his right hand. Of course, it didn't really look like a sword; not when it looked like a key and stuff."

"You're rambling, Kairi," her brown-haired friend interrupted before she continued off on the tangent. The red-haired girl blushed and cleared her throat.

"That's when everyone knew that he's the prince, but I was too shocked that this boy stood up to some gaudily-dressed man. He's actually around the same height as us, you know. But that's not important. He called that creep 'Marluxia' or something and said that if he were king, he would have killed that creep already for his lack of respect. The pink-haired creep ran away with his posse and he gave me the purse."

"When did you find out who he was?" Sora asked with amusement.

"After I asked what his name was and he had left," she blushed in embarrassment. "Oh gosh, I didn't even show my respect to him."

Sora laughed at her as she huffed playfully with her hands on her hips. "Did Aqua scold you for forgetting your manners?"

"Don't you know it," she pouted. "And I even begged Squall not to tell her either." Her friend only laughed louder before Kairi smacked him on the back of his head.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing where Kairi had smacked him. When he saw the red-haired girl fuming in annoyance at him, he gave her a sheepish smirk. "Sorry."

Without another word, he jumped off where he perched and went to close up shop. The trouble with Lord Marluxia—or "Pink-haired Creep" as Kairi dubbed him—had ended their sales early, giving them more than enough time to begin their preparations for the following day's business. Both teens worked on the balls of dough for the different types of bread. While Sora moved the individual portions into the underground proofing room, Kairi went through their inventory. She made note that they were running out of oil and baking powder, reminding her friend to restock their supplies during the midday shopping the following day.

By the time they were done, the sun was a few yards above the darkened horizon in the orange sky, unlike most days when they would begin their journey home during sunset. They waved good-bye to their neighbors and started on their way, picking up a slab of meat and a few bones for dinner, a luxury they could not have afforded if not for their royal beneficiary. Kairi also picked up four servings of sweet cheese pastries to complete the day's celebration. To know that the heir to the throne of Hollow Bastion was a boy who would protect his lowly subjects brought hope to their future.

They waved good-bye to the two guards at the city gates on the way to Twilight Town, one of the many shanty towns that surrounded the Hollow Bastion capital, known as Radiant Garden. It was in Twilight Town that Sora and Kairi lived with Sora's mother, Lady Sarah Caelum.

Though the shanty towns were desolate places and crime was not unheard of, Sora and Kairi were beacons of hope in Twilight Town and no one dared to touch them or the mother who had remained ill for the majority of the time since they moved there. They greeted the few faces that were up and about before nightfall and made their way through the maze-like alleys to reach their home.

"We're home!" Sora announced cheerfully as he entered the deteriorating building, bringing the smoldering fire in the middle of the house back to life. Soft coughs greeted his ears and he quickly moved toward the back of the brick house to reach his mother while Kairi made preparations for dinner.

Sora tried not to frown when he looked at his mother, wrapped in blankets as she rested fitfully with her cough. He pulled out the bottle of crushed medicine he bought from Ifalna and poured the contents into the pot of tea leaves he had prepared before he left for work that morning. He grabbed the pot of hot water that was simmering over a smoldering fire and prepared the medicinal tea. He looked at his mother worriedly when she went into another coughing fit, though it didn't seem as debilitating as usual.

The brown-haired teen tapped the pot impatiently while the tea brewed. When the boy knew it was finally done, he poured a cup of the medicinal tea for his mother before placing the teapot in a metal pan over a sprinkling of coals that he took from the fire in the middle of the room. He sat on the bed next to his mother and blew at the cup of steaming tea, cooling the concoction down a bit.

"Here, mama," Sora said softly as he propped his mother up against him, bringing the cup to her chapped lips. The sickly woman slowly drank the medicinal tea, opening her eyes only after the tea was gone. Her eyes cleared with the effects of the drink and she smiled happily at her son, even though she wished she was the one providing for them instead of the other way around.

"How was your day, Sora?" she asked in her musical voice. The boy smiled backed, happy that Ifalna's tea once again soothed her symptoms. Even if her illness couldn't be cured right now, he wouldn't let her suffer in pain.

"It was great," he answered, helping her out of bed to take the short walk to the communal room, where they prepared meals, ate, and received guests.

Kairi looked up from the cutting board and smiled at the pair. "Good evening, Auntie," she greeted.

Sarah gasped softly upon seeing the dark bruise on the girl's face and quickly left her son's support to cup Kairi's cheeks in her hands, inspecting the mark with a mother's touch. "Oh, my dear," she said in concern, "are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Auntie," the girl replied sheepishly. "It doesn't hurt anymore, honestly."

"What happened?" Sarah asked, letting her goddaughter go only after she was sure that Kairi was being truthful about her injury.

"Why don't you tell her everything, Kairi?" smirked Sora. "I'll finish making dinner."

Kairi nodded with a grin and wiped her hands on a clean rag before helping her godmother sit down near the central fire.

As she went into an animated retelling of the day's events, Sora resumed the work that Kairi had started, portioning the meat into halves for a stew and for skewers to be roasted over the fire. It would be the grandest meal they've had in years.

* * *

"I'm disappointed in you, Roxas," the king of Hollow Bastion said with a frown, clearly reproachful of the actions his heir took against one of his loyal supporters. "How are you to expect my followers to respect you if you act against them?"

His green eyes regarded the proud, stoic teen in front of him coolly; irritated by the lack of respect the boy was showing him by not meeting his eyes.

"I will demand respect my own way," the prince retorted immediately, keeping his calm and steeling himself against the censures from the king.

"You had no right to intervene. Marluxia is an aristocrat. He is allowed to do whatever he wants. Those peasants are simply leeches off of our generosity."

"I beg your pardon, _your majesty_," Roxas nearly spat. "Those peasants are hard-working people. When Marluxia chose to wantonly disrupt someone's business, I had every right to stop what was happening."

The king suddenly stood up from his throne, glaring angrily at his disobedient heir. "You are henceforth banned from venturing into the city," he announced, the command carrying through the large throne room to all the royal guards that were present. "You will not leave the castle grounds until the day I die and you are crowned king."

Roxas gnashed his teeth together and suppressed the anger that bubbled in his stomach. His neatly trimmed nails bit into the palms of his hands as his body shook with checked emotions. "Your edict means nothing," he said quietly but not without the hatred that had festered in his heart ever since he was chosen to be heir. "I will make you rue the day you chose me to fill your throne."

"Guards, take him to his room," the king shouted. Immediately, two armored guards marched up next to the prince.

"I know the way to my own room, your majesty," the teen did spit this time. "I do not need escorts."

With those angry words, the yellow-haired prince spun on his heels and stomped out of the room, followed by the two guards.

Once the boy was gone, the king plopped back down onto his throne, leaning his cheek on his left fist while his right hand tapped impatiently against the other chair arm.

"Axel!" he practically screamed out the servant's name. Instantly, the red-haired man stepped out from behind a pillar nearby and bowed to the king silently.

"Was I not explicit in my instructions when I said he was not to go into the outside world?" the king fumed.

"I thought your majesty didn't want the prince to go outside the city walls," the servant replied humbly. "I had no idea the prince would stray into the marketplace and stumble across Lord Marluxia."

The king let out a growl of frustration, standing back up from his throne to pace across the dais. "How, in the Council's good name, did he turn out to be such a righteous brat!"

A sinister laughter sounded from his left as his head advisor stepped out from behind the curtains with an amused smirk on his face. Behind the arrogant exterior, his crimson eyes reflected the cruel nature, the one thing that the king counted on to deal with dissenters.

"He not your son, sire," the man with light-blue hair bowed in respect. "While he might not remember his humble beginnings, there will always be a part of him that will empathize with the commoners no matter how hard we try to crush it from him. He is a very astute child."

"Would you recommend sending him to the Council?" the king inquired thoughtfully.

"I'm not even sure the Council will be able to crush his spirits," chuckled the advisor. "But, I believe that boy could be the key to your majesty's rise to immortality."

"You have my attention, Saïx," the black-haired king said, taking his seat on the throne.

* * *

Roxas looked out of the gilded window next to the large dresser in his tower bedroom high above castle grounds; yet, the tower was like a child compared to the city walls, which loomed over everything and made it impossible for any farming to be done within a mile of the vicinity of the walls. There was a time when he wondered what was beyond those walls, a stirring in his heart that propelled his curiosity. It was as though there was something out there that called to him, a place to be called home.

He knitted his brows together in confusion. It didn't make any sense! How was he feeling this strange calling when he's lived all of his life within these circular walls? He could remember blurred faces and faint smells that were familiar to him within the city, yet the calling remained.

The prince turned back to look at his room, tearing his eyes away from the freedom that roamed beyond the walls around him. A yellow canary hopped across the single bar in her cage, looking at her owner in a strangely intelligent manner. The bird let out a questioning tweet and hopped away a bit as Roxas opened the cage door to let her perch on his index finger. She warbled happily as the prince caressed her with the back of two fingers. Roxas smiled at the canary, which flapped her wings approvingly.

"I wish I could let you go, Xion," he murmured softly, knowing that she couldn't leave because of her clipped wings. She would perish in the cruel world, unable to escape the predators that sought to devour her.

On the other hand, he would be able to protect himself, to provide for himself; but he had the responsibility to the people who composed the foundation of society, the hard workers who made Hollow Bastion prosperous in the first place. Yet, he had no idea just how wide the wealth gap was between the men and women who attended court on a regular basis and the peasants who sold their wares in the marketplace.

A loud "pop" echoed through the circular room as a white creature appeared. The teddy bear-like creature had an oversized head with pink wings that seemed too small to be able to support his flight, yet he floated in the air just fine. A large red pompom hung from a single tendril that originated from the creature's forehead. His eyes appeared closed, but Roxas knew he saw everything.

"Welcome back, Prince Roxas, kupo!" the Moogle's childlike voice greeted him.

"Hello, Mog," the yellow-haired prince answered with a soft smile. He went over to the birdcage and set the canary back into her enclosure, giving the little bird another smile before making his way over to the mahogany desk where the Moogle had set down a heavy tome.

Roxas brushed his fingers across the embossed cover, frowning at the encyclopedic volume set in front of him.

"What's the matter, your highness, kupo?" Mog asked worriedly when his pupil didn't automatically open the book as usual. The teen turned to look at the creature that hovered over his shoulder.

"Mog, tell me why Xemnas picked me to be his heir? Why not any of the others?" he asked.

"Your highness knows the reason, kupo," his teacher replied simply.

"Why do I have this power?"

"That, kupo, I do not know," the Moogle said sadly. "Fate gave you that power, kupo."

"I don't want it," Roxas growled angrily. "I hate this."

Mog observed the child with thought, sensing a deeper reason to the teen's melancholy. "Kupo, what troubles you, my prince?"

The boy looked directly at Mog, showing him all of the misery that had been kept bottled up for so long until recent events. "The Council has blessed my future," he said grimly. "They expect me to get married by my next birthday."

"Your highness is worried that the Council will kill whoever it is you choose to be your queen, kupo," the Moogle stated frankly.

"What's the point of getting married if I'm supposed to be ruling on my own? As a widower!" he spat angrily. "It's a farce; that's what it is!"

"Kupo," his teacher uttered thoughtfully. "What is your highness going to do about it?"

Roxas stared at Mog as though he were crazy to even suggest that there was something he could do to get out of this mess. "What are you talking about, Mog? The words of the Council are absolute. No one can fight it."

"Kupo," Mog simply said, uttering no other words as he picked up the heavy book on Roxas's desk and made it disappear into thin air. He knew that his student wasn't in any mindset to learn more about the War of Gardens, the century long conflict between the five immortals before they set aside their differences and forced their united will upon the ravaged world, playing god as it were.

"Remember, kupo, that rulers are in power only when the people let them be in power," he said before he disappeared with another loud "pop".

Roxas stared at the space where Mog had occupied before he disappeared as swiftly as he came. The magical creature was mysterious and always gave him advice that never seemed straightforward. He's always had to dig deeper to find the true meanings behind his teacher's words. Yet, strangely enough, Mog's latest advice was as clear-cut as they came.

Still, it was easier said than done. With the Council's control on every single kingdom under the sun, only a worldwide revolution of all peoples could they even have a remote chance of ending the Council's iron grip rule.

* * *

_Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: This chapter should answer some of the questions that arose in chapter 1._

_Yay, a Moogle! It made more sense to have Mog be Roxas's teacher rather than say one of the Disney characters (including Merlin and Yen Sid) since Moogles are more or less neutral in the spectrum of good and evil. Mog, of course, is a name commonly associated with the main Moogle character in the Final Fantasy series (FFVI and FFXIII-2 come to mind)._

_Following what I've done in "The Heart of a Nobody", I will be including a small blurb about specific references that occur in the individual chapters. And since I forgot the references in the last chapter, I'll put them here._

_Myrna is the name of Barret Wallace's wife from Final Fantasy VII. Caelum and Fleuret—Sora and Kairi's last names respectively—are references to Noctis Lucis Caelum and Stella Nox Fleuret from Final Fantasy versus XIII. Roxas's last name, d'Tenebrae, is a reference to Stella Nox Fleuret's kingdom; though one could argue that it just means "shadows" in Latin. Balamb Garden comes from Final Fantasy VIII. Ifalna is Aerith Gainsborough's real mother in Final Fantasy VII._

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter. As per usual, comments, critiques, and questions are more than welcome._


	3. Dilemma

_To reviewers of chapter 2:_

_Blaid: You'll just have to see, eh?_

_Lionwings: I do like the fact that Sora and Kairi are very cheerful in the games, but at the same time, the cynic in me feels they should have a wider range of reaction. Still, I am going to try and keep them similar to how they are in game, with a few instances of "out of character"-ness for obvious reasons._

_Innocent Uke Or NOT: Except Pascal isn't magical besides his awesome chameleon ability, XP._

_KatrinaEagle: Thanks. Hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story._

___Aozora-dot-NejiSasUKE_ (Had to change the period or FF would think it's a website... sigh): Glad you liked it. As for Leon/Cloud, that's probably not going to happen in this story since I kept Squall's original name. Not to mention I have other plans for Cloud besides being just a peasant in Hollow Bastion (cough).

* * *

**Dilemma**

* * *

As usual, Kairi and Sora left their home long before the sun rose above the horizon so they would have the bread they left to proof overnight ready for sale by the time the business day started. Lady Sarah had been fascinated by Kairi's tale and was in high spirits when she retired after instructing them further on the history of their homeland and how it intertwined with that of Hollow Bastion. Though they were poor, the sickly mother would not allow her son and goddaughter grow up without a basic education like the one she had when she was growing up.

The pair was quiet and stepped lightly across the dirt paths toward the city gate. Not many people were up and about and they were loath to accidentally wake hard working people from their much needed slumbers.

The nearest city gates weren't wide open when the two teens reached them, but the night shift opened the door set within one of the huge gates for them, greeting them with happiness since the pair's arrival meant that their own shifts were ending within the hour.

The marketplace was devoid of any activities save for the few fishmongers bringing in their evening catches for the dawn auction when prize fishes would be sold to bidders all around Radiant Garden to be served in taverns and homes of aristocrats.

They entered their shop with the moon still several feet above the horizon that had begun to color with pink from the yet-to-rise sun.

Kairi lit the candles around the back room and sprinkled the working counter with a dusting of flour while Sora climbed down into the proofing room, lighting the candles at the corners of the large basement. He brought up the first batches of the many lumps of dough they needed to deal with before they began baking. As the red-haired girl worked on the balls, Sora started up the fire and made sure the temperature was good before he began placing the unbaked loaves in the brick oven.

The pair continued to work for a little over two hours to get most of the batches ready for baking. By then, the day had just begun with other shop owners arriving at their own stores, opening them up for business.

Since Sora was the one up front the previous morning, it was Kairi's turn to be at the stall while Sora continued baking the bread until the last batch was baked.

As hawkers began shouting out their wares, another day of business began. And both teens knew it would be another wonderful day as long as they had each other and their humble bakery.

* * *

The morning after he was banned from ever venturing into town found Roxas strolling through one of the rose gardens within the castle walls. Next to him walked a servant girl named Olette, who would become his eyes and ears in town as long as he remained a prisoner in his own home.

"I've told Hayner and Pence of your concerns, your highness," the sienna-haired girl said. Her hair was twisted into two bunches that draped down the front over the black cotton dress and the white apron that made up the uniform of all female servants working at the castle. The long sleeves of the dress ended into short frills just below the wrists—the only decorative part of the otherwise austere-looking outfit.

While Roxas would have preferred his companion call him by his name rather than "your highness", they had to keep up appearances lest the king executed the servant girl for showing disrespect toward the prince.

Roxas nodded approvingly. "I suspect Marluxia will try something against the bakery once he's heard that I'm to be confined to the grounds. He probably won't lead the attack himself though, not when people would easily recognize him."

"And that would work to our advantage," smiled Olette.

"Yes, Hayner and Pence would be able to fight his lackeys without running the risk of breaking the edict the previous kings have placed on Hollow Bastion. Even if his men did report to him on who stopped them, he wouldn't be able to publicly denounce me without embarrassing himself."

Olette giggled. "Getting outsmarted by kids. That would go real well in court."

Even Roxas had to crack a smile at that statement. His smile soon faded as he continued down the gravel path toward the central fountain.

"Your highness is brooding again," Olette commented astutely. "Is it because of the masquerade ball in two weeks?"

"The ball?" parroted Roxas without thinking. He quickly recovered his composure with an "oh", recalling the conversation he had with the king the day prior.

"Aye, the ball," his companion nodded eagerly. "It's rumored that his majesty is extending invites to the lower classes too."

She continued on, oblivious to her companion's growing anger. "Can you imagine people like me at the ball?" she giggled. "What would we wear?"

The yellow-haired prince heard none of her words with the angry scowl on his face. He hastened his steps to reach the central fountain without waiting for the sienna-haired girl. Olette quickly followed, bewildered by her friend and lord's reaction. She thought he would have been overjoyed at the news, no longer required to marry an aristocrat now that the king was allowing commoners to interact with their prince.

"How dare he," Roxas growled as he began pacing around the fountain. "All to follow the words of the Council so they can keep the pretense that they cared about the common people!"

Olette watched with furrowed brows as Roxas continued pacing in a large circle. She wanted him to explain why he had become so agitated despite the happy news, but she knew he needed some time to sort out his thoughts before he could provide a coherent explanation to his behavior.

After a few minutes of pacing, the teen finally stopped, his shoulders slumping with a great sigh.

"Has your highness come to his senses?" Olette asked with a hint of irritation. She hated when Roxas fell into one of his ruts, becoming withdrawn and difficult to talk to.

Roxas looked at his friend in despair, as though the news was all doom and gloom for him. "Xemnas isn't inviting the commoners to the ball out of his good heart," he said grimly.

"I'd wager that much already," she answered sarcastically. "But shouldn't your highness be happy that you can bring a commoner into the upper class?"

"If I were anyone but the prince," he quipped. "He's using my love of the people against me, giving me more choices to pick my future queen."

"And why is that such a bad thing?" the girl questioned with confusion.

"Do you know of the Council, Olette?" Roxas asked, finding a blank look on her face.

"The Council?" she asked, sitting down next to him by the fountain.

Roxas nodded. "The Council is the organization that pulls the strings behind the scenes. They rule this world by controlling the rulers of each kingdom. If someone steps out of line, the Council will dispose of that ruler in a snap, just like that," he explained with a snap of his fingers.

"What does this have to do with your highness's future?" frowned the servant girl, not entirely following her friend.

"My future queen won't live past my ascension to the throne."

Olette's eyes widened in shock at the revelation, understanding just why her prince was so bothered; they were forcing his hand to fall in step with tradition.

"It's the same for all the rulers," he added. "Every single monarch is to rule alone. It was easier for the Council to maintain control over the rulers that way."

"Amazing how few people realizes a more sinister reason behind why the monarchs are all single," murmured Olette thoughtfully.

"It's been so long since the war that people have forgotten about the Council, that it was their union that brought the world to its knees and we ended up with this arrangement," Roxas smiled sardonically. "And I would just be perpetuating this arrangement."

"Then run away, your highness," Olette said. "Run far away to where they can't get you. Surely if you escape this fate, something would happen. You have the power to fight."

"And they would just find another to replace me if they can't find me," snorted the prince. "Besides, I doubt I could be able to disappear that easily. You know I wouldn't watch injustice happen without doing something about it. It's all easier said than done."

"What will your highness do then?" the servant girl asked. "Will you choose a bride between now and your birthday?"

"We shall see, Olette," the prince said sadly. "We shall see."

* * *

Business was more or less as usual for Sora and Kairi the day after Prince Roxas had intervened on Kairi's behalf, save for the crowd of people that visited not to purchase bread, but to ask Kairi of the prince himself and what he was like in the brief moments she's met him.

Not once did the two proprietors of the bakery noticed that they were being watched.

A black-haired teen on the heavier side stood next to his sandy-haired friend in an alley across the street. Neither teen wore their royal guard outfits, knowing better than to draw attention to themselves when they're on assignment for their prince. The whole time, the sandy-haired guard watched the two teens closely, paying particular attention to the red-haired girl whose cheek was still blemished by the bruise she received from Lord Marluxia.

His companion yawned with boredom and stretched out his limbs before he scanned across the busy streets searching for any familiar face. While Pence didn't mind the special assignment, he was beginning to wonder if their prince wasn't simply being paranoid with Lord Marluxia's actions. Surely he wouldn't be so stupid as to cause trouble again for the two teens.

"Remember that Ven is stuck back in the castle," muttered Hayner, using the codename that referred to their prince when they were in public. "Lord Marluxia will take advantage of that."

"I know," grumbled the black-haired teen. "But I don't think he's that stupid to cause trouble a day after he was embarrassed by Ven."

"You'd be amazed at how stupid aristocrats can be when their pride's hurt," smirked Hayner. He turned back to watch the shop when four horsemen riding toward the bakery caught his attention.

"Heads up," he said, gesturing toward the obvious scene.

"Guess I was wrong," Pence admitted, following Hayner out of the darkened alleyway.

"Get out of the way!" a gruff voice screamed over the gathered crowd. Horses whinnied shrilly as they reared up under their riders' controls. Women screamed in terror as the horses stamped down close to where they had stood and the crowd quickly scattered, giving the four riders a clear path to the bakery.

Sora looked at the four sinister riders with a grim face, pushing Kairi behind him to protect her. He knew that these were men looking for trouble; he didn't have to be a genius to come to the conclusion that something prompted Lord Marluxia to send men to wreak havoc on their bakery.

He swallowed down a lump of fear as swords were unsheathed. He had no arms to fight against the thugs, much less against mercenaries who were proficient in using their blades.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble already!" a blue-haired woman shouted angrily, pushing her way to the front of the crowd that kept their distance from the armed men. A brown-haired man and his silver-haired friend—Squall and Riku—stepped forward alongside the owner of the leather goods shop nearby.

"Aqua, no," Sora said, shaking his head in fear. Even though Leon and Riku carried wooden sticks, they were no match against the warriors; not when they're outnumbered four to two.

"And what are you going to do about it, wench?" sneered one of the burly men. In response, Leon and Riku attacked the man, knocking him off of his horse with their improvised weapons. They would have continued their attack on the unhorsed man had one of the others not rode in between them, rearing his steed to kick the two brave souls away.

The man who had been knocked off of his horse scrambled to his feet indignantly and stalked over to Riku, who was closer to him than Squall. He raised his weapon and was about to slash downward at the teen when a sword stopped the strike.

The thug looked up to find Pence holding the sword that blocked his attack.

"You…" he hissed viciously, knowing exactly who the boy was. He took a step back and turned towards his companions. "What are you all waiting for! Wreck the place!"

"I think not," Hayner said, stepping in front of the shop. He slashed at the closest rider and easily knocked the man off of the horse. He created even more havoc against the four troublemakers when he delivered a kick to the steed's rump, sending it racing dangerously close to its previous rider. The crowd quickly parted way to let the confused steed gallop away.

The two royal guards continued to battle against the four ruffians, unconcerned of the number disadvantage. The crowd of onlookers cheered for the two teens and even began throwing things at the ruffians. Their prince's actions against one of the aristocrats had encouraged them to stand up for their neighbors against trouble. The fact that two strangers had stood up for their own further bolstered their courage to fight the evil men.

"Get out of here!" the shout was repeated multiple times by different people.

"Run back to your master!" laughed another man before he chucked yet another cabbage at the men, successfully hitting one of them on the head.

The rowdy crowd continued to show their menace against the four men, who staggered to their feet and left without another exchange of words, thoroughly beaten by the mob.

Cheers erupted all around and people hugged one another for their triumph against the bullies that had long been protected by aristocracy. It has been this way for such a long time that the common people didn't think the day when they could fight back with impunity would ever come.

Kairi went directly over to Squall and Riku, wringing her hands in worry while Aqua tended to them. Luckily, they hadn't broken anything when the horse kicked them. In fact, they were rather annoyed that two women were doting on them, soon to be joined by one more.

"Who are you?" Sora asked the two swordsmen who had stepped in to protect them. Hayner smirked at him while Pence crossed his hands behind his head with a grin of his own.

"I'm Pence," the black-haired guard introduced himself.

"And I'm Hayner," added the other soldier.

"Thank you for your help," Sora bowed with gratitude. "But I'm going guess you weren't actually just passing by, were you..."

Both Hayner and Pence simply grinned back, answering the baker's question without actual words.

"Shall we go inside?" Hayner suggested. He didn't trust that there might not be any spies even amongst the mob that had fought Marluxia's men.

Sora nodded in agreement, looking over at Kairi who had just finished exchanging a few words with their injured friends. Aerith had arrived shortly after the men left and was in the process of helping Aqua with Squall and Riku. He gestured for Kairi to come and the redhead followed the three teens into the working area behind the outside stall.

"The prince sent you guys, didn't he?" Kairi asked immediately once they were indoors, looking from one guard to the other with expectation.

Pence smirked while his companion answered the question. "Yes, we are his personal guards. He believed that Marluxia would try to disrupt your business again today, so here we are."

"Thank you!" Kairi exclaimed, embracing both soldiers at once. Both teens blushed, unused to being the target of attention from the opposite sex, particularly not from a stranger like Kairi.

"How did the prince know we'd have more trouble today?" Sora asked with interest once Kairi pulled away from the two faintly blushing teens.

"He knows how Marluxia operates," answered Pence. "He knew that once Marluxia finds out the king's barred him from leaving the castle, Marluxia would step over the line just to reestablish his place amongst the nobility."

"Wait, his highness can't leave the castle?" the red-haired girl asked.

"The king won't let him come into town after he's embarrassed one of the king's most loyal supporters," the black-haired guard sighed.

"It's all my fault," Kairi said sadly.

"No way," scoffed Hayner. "He chose this path. You shouldn't feel guilty for what's happened to him. He isn't going to suffer that greatly."

"Except from boredom," Pence pointed out. His companion only shrugged nonchalantly.

"So if the prince is stuck in the castle, are we to expect Marluxia attempting something like this every day?" frowned Sora. "Wouldn't he keep going until he succeeds?"

"He probably won't try again for a while. His reputation has been hit twice already. He'll wait awhile before he tries again," the sandy-haired guard replied.

Kairi and Sora looked at each other with worry.

"That's not very reassuring," Kairi remarked. "What is to say he won't attack when you aren't here?"

"He can't afford to get on Ven's bad side, not with his seventeenth birthday coming up in just over six months," Pence answered. "It won't be long before Ven is crowned king."

"Ven?" the girl raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"It's the name we use for the prince when we're out in public," he explained. "Ven doesn't like being called 'your highness'. He only tolerates it to keep up appearances."

"It's more for close friends though," continued Hayner. "He wouldn't risk our lives for the sake of treating us as equals."

"He sure is different from the current king," Kairi remarked thoughtfully.

"That's why we'll stay loyal to him," grinned Pence. "He even told us to kill him if he turned out to be like all the others."

Sora stared wide-eyed at the burlier guard's statement. "What!"

"You're telling them too much, Pence," the other soldier hissed, glaring at his partner. "They don't need to know all that."

Pence only laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Anyway, I think we should let you guys get back to your business," Hayner stood up, getting ready to depart. "We'll be around until you guys head home."

"Why don't you guys join us for lunch and stick around?" suggested Sora. "It's just past midday and we haven't eaten yet either."

"We have to show you our gratitude somehow, right?" smiled Kairi.

The two personal guards to Prince Roxas looked at each other in understanding before Hayner agreed with a nod. "Being out amongst the peasants would also be a good thing," he added.

"Yup!" Sora agreed with a wide grin.

Together, the four ate behind the wooden stall out in front with Hayner and Pence keeping an eye out for any more suspicious characters around. Yet, a small celebration lasted for the rest of the day as people gathered around the bakery to eat their own midday meals, sharing their food with one another.

A few curious peasants inquired about the identities of the two strangers who had fought against the ruffians, but neither Hayner nor Pence gave away their true identities, simply referring to themselves as travelers from a distant kingdom coming to seek their fortunes. They smiled and nodded in understanding when the older folks advised them to leave immediately, to not get involved with the corrupted nobility. Though their prince had long suspected the peasants' lack of love for the upper class, he didn't know just how deep the loathing lied. The two teens, given the freedom to go everywhere as royal guards, knew all of this.

Towards the end of their meal, a loud clangor rang in the air as one of the many news bearers shouted out announcements for upcoming events.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" he cried out, banging the brass cowbell in his hands. "In fortnight's time, there will be a masquerade ball to celebrate our Prince Roxas's coming-of-age ceremony! His majesty, King Xemnas, has cordially invited all of his peoples to attend! The only requirement we ask for is that all attendees wear a mask!"

As quickly as he came, the caller was gone, bringing his voice to other parts of town.

"That's a first," an elderly woman who called herself "baba" commented. "Never thought I'd see the day when the king invited the common people to a ball."

"It's probably a ploy to take the men from our homes and send them off to a distant battlefield," another woman agreed.

Both Sora and Kairi looked at each other with bewildered looks on their faces as they processed the news. Suddenly, the red-haired girl's eyes twinkled and she whipped towards Hayner and Pence eagerly.

"Does that mean if we go, we'd be able to meet Ven again?" she asked with a wide smile.

"I don't see why not," replied Hayner. "But I'd be careful though," he added softly. "As cynical as they are," he gestured towards the older generation nearby, "they have reason to be suspicious."

"Yeah," Pence nodded in agreement, "Ven and the king aren't exactly on good terms. I doubt this is a move to smooth over their differences."

"Of course we'll be careful, but to be able to dance again…" Kairi trailed off dreamily. She quickly snapped out of her daydream when her childhood friend jabbed her in the ribs with an elbow.

"It wouldn't be like the mock dances we did when we were young, Kairi," Sora said pointedly.

"Only because you didn't know how to dance," she giggled. The brown-haired teen blushed in embarrassment at the memory of him stepping on his mother's feet when she tried to teach him the basic waltz. Kairi giggled at the same memory and the one right after when he thought he's mastered the waltz, but ended up stepping on Kairi's feet.

"I'll get some practice in before the ball," muttered Sora. His childhood friend only giggled while the two royal guards simply looked on with a tempered mix of amusement and curiosity.

* * *

_Disclaimer: _Kingdom Hearts_ and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: The chapters are starting to get longer, ack. At least this isn't as much of filler chapter. Still, it's not quite what I had planned in terms of chapter length. I am consciously cutting the chapters down, though. If I can't fit it into six pages max on Word, then I'm adding more chapters in the end, haha._

_Not much to talk about in this chapter. Olette, Hayner, Pence, and Aqua get introduced in this chapter; and that's about it. No non-KH references are really made here._

_As per usual, comments and questions are always welcome._


	4. Prelude

_To reviewers of chapter 3:_

_KatrinaEagle: It's too bad she isn't actually going to have a major part in this story, but I can't really have every single character in KH have a major part in a story unless it's going to be one of epic proportions, eh? XD_

_Sammiieeoo: Thank you for the compliment._

_Lionwings: Hayner, Pence, and Olette will have a larger role than Aqua by virtue of their closeness to Roxas. Aqua is more or less an important person in the marketplace, but that's about it._

* * *

**Prelude**

* * *

When Lady Sarah heard the news, she was ecstatic.

"It would be wonderful for you to dance again," she remarked as Kairi giggled uncontrollably at the reminder. "Kairi," she scolded, knowing which memory had prompted her laughter. The trio had gathered at the hearth with their individual dinners in hand that evening. The pot of porridge containing chicken and vegetables was hung over the hearth to keep warm while they ate.

"Sorry, Sora," she apologized with a smile once her giggles subsided.

"Oh, I wish I could go with you, even if it's just to see you two dance with others," Lady Sarah said wistfully.

"Mom…" Sora remarked softly. His mother snapped out of her self-pity and smiled.

"What will you be wearing?" she asked. "I saw the new dress. Is that for you or for Kairi?"

Sora's blush and Kairi's giggle answered the question.

"I couldn't help it!" the boy blurted in embarrassment. "Myrna had gotten a new stock of blue silk. It was just so nice that I had to get it. Besides," he sniffed with mild annoyance, "everyone thinks that I'm getting it for Kairi."

"And that's very thoughtful of you," his mother complimented, choosing not to embarrass her son even further. "Your father would be proud to know that you're a gentleman."

"Why don't you wear it to the ball?" suggested Kairi. "It _is_ a masquerade; no one would recognize you."

"I don't know…" Sora trailed off, unsure about showing his mild affinity to wearing feminine clothes in public.

"You probably shouldn't wear it to the ball," Sarah pointed out with a smile. "If Myrna is there, she would know it's you in that dress, especially if you're with Kairi and the dress is supposed to be for her."

Sora nodded in agreement, realizing that his mother was right. Yet, the longer he dwelled on the subject, the little part of him that wouldn't mind wearing a dress in public grew; he was curious to see how people would act towards him and how he would react to them when they think he's a girl.

"Even if I do go as a girl, I'd have to get a wig too," he pondered aloud. "Where am I going to get that?"

"Leave that to me," grinned Kairi, earning her a raised eyebrow from the brown-haired boy.

"I won't ask," Sora simply said. His eyes followed his frail mother as she set her bowl down and got up from where she sat. She went over to the locked trunk at one corner of the communal room, causing both teens to fall silent; that trunk hasn't been touched since Sora's father died well over five years ago.

Lady Sarah scanned across the nondescript trunk with nostalgia, wiping off the dust that had accumulated on top of the wooden container since she last dusted it a few months ago. She took off her necklace where the key to the delicate lock hung next to the single sapphire pendant and the gold wedding band that had been her husband's. With a smile on her face, she took the key and inserted it into the old lock, turning the key until she heard a quiet "click".

Once the trunk was unlocked, Sora quickly walked over to her and helped her push open the trunk cover. In plain view, an elaborately tailored dress sat folded under a delicate silver tiara. Lady Sarah took the tiara and inspected it fondly, looking over to her son and placing the silver circlet on his head with a smile.

She pulled the dress out from the trunk and looked over it, remembering the last time she had worn the beautiful piece. Even though she had suggested they sell the contents of the trunk a long time ago, Sora and Kairi refused to let go the comforting pieces that reminded them of their parents, of a magical childhood before their exile.

The navy blue dress had a slightly conservative cut just below the collarbone. A white sash sat around the waist, tied in a gather at the back. The sleeve was short and slightly puffed, ending just above mid-biceps. The skirt itself was ruffled with a wavy bottom hem and further decorated by small silk bows. A delicate netting covered the skirt, changing the perceived color of the skirt from a navy blue to almost a sky blue. While it was a girlish dress, Lady Sarah loved it—she didn't care if people thought she was childlike when she wore the dress.

Underneath the blue dress was another dress, this time of a light pink color. The pink dress was tastefully decorated with cubic zirconias and streams of white ribbons that draped toward the hem that was trimmed with lace. A wide red satin sash sat around the waist. Unlike the other dress, the pink dress had long sleeves, segmented to allow movement with the stiffer fabric. The dress collar was cut just above the bosom and bared more of the wearer's shoulders compared to the blue dress. It had been Kairi and her father's last present for her mother before the tragic accident.

Sarah held the blue dress up, evaluating how Sora would look in it. Though he didn't have the curves that a girl normally had, she thought the dress would work quite well, especially for a masquerade ball.

"Here," she said, holding the dress out for Sora to take, "try this on."

Sora stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at his mother, surprised that the woman was offering the dress she always wore on his birthdays back during their time in Balamb Garden. He accepted the garment speechlessly, careful in handling the dress.

"And you should wear this," she continued cheerfully, picking up the other dress from the trunk and handing it over to Kairi.

"That was for mom…" Kairi said sadly, taking the dress with misty eyes only after Sarah nearly shoved it into her arms.

The brown-haired woman laid her hands gently on the redhead's shoulders. She smiled at the girl who was only a couple of years away from womanhood and reassured her with: "Stella would want you to wear it."

"But-" Kairi began to protest, only for Lady Sarah to place a finger on her lips to quiet her.

"She would agree with me," the older woman answered. "She would want you to not forget where you came from, whose daughter you are. Wearing this dress will not tarnish your memories of your mother; it will only bring you closer to her even though she is gone. For this one night, live for yourself before we moved, live for your parents. Make them proud that you have not forgotten the lessons they taught you."

"All right," the girl said with a nod, determined to make her mother proud.

"Now, let's see if we need to make some adjustments with these dresses." The girl nodded happily in reply.

The two females looked over at Sora, who held the dress out to look at it in full length. "Will I need to wear a corset?" he asked absent-mindedly. Lady Sarah and Kairi looked at each other then broke out into girlish giggles simultaneously at the imagery that entered into their minds.

Sora didn't even pay attention to them.

* * *

Roxas stood in front of the body length mirror with a stoic look on his face, showing none of his absolute boredom as he stood still on top of a short foot stool. The old tailor was taking his measurements again even though he had gotten a new set of clothes just a month prior. Surely he couldn't have grown that much in four weeks. Still, he allowed the tailor to begin his preparations for the prince's masquerade costume; it was a distraction while he waited for his loyal guards to return from their special assignment in town.

Olette was absent while the tailor worked, having gone to wait for Hayner and Pence to return to the castle. The other people who watched as the tailor did his work were Axel and Lord Zexion Faust, the youngest advisor to the king of Hollow Bastion.

"Has your highness decided on a theme for his costume for the ball?" the tailor asked in midst of measuring the length of the teen's arm.

"No," Roxas answered bluntly, keeping still. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Perhaps the Chocobo?" suggested the old man, missing the look of annoyance on the teen's face as he looked to measure Roxas's legs.

"That would be obvious," remarked Zexion. "His hair is far too yellow."

"Isn't that the point, milord?" the tailor inquired. "The ball is for his highness. People should recognize him for who he is."

"And you expect Prince Roxas to find a suitable mate when women would throw themselves at his feet?" Zexion replied pointedly. "No, it'd be best to find a theme that would disguise him."

Roxas looked with surprise at the light blue-haired teen that was only a few years his senior, stepping into the role of an advisor at the age of 18 just a few months prior. He was suspicious of Zexion's motives, skeptical that the man was on his side.

After all, rumor has it that Zexion Faust was nicknamed "the cloaked schemer".

"Make me a raven," the prince said curtly. The other three men within the room all looked at him, surprised by the prince's demand.

"A-a raven, your highness?" the tailor said, seemingly aghast at the dreariness of the order. "But a raven-"

"Is inconspicuous," interrupted Roxas. "I do wish to be able to interact with those who attend the ball."

"His majesty would not approve of your highness's choice," Zexion said grimly, earning himself a glare in the mirror from the yellow-haired prince.

"This ball is happening so I can find my wife, is it not?" he quipped. "If he won't allow me this simple request, then the ball has already lost its purpose."

Not even Zexion could come up with a proper response to that. No further words were exchanged over the prince's decision.

"Shall I make the costume two-toned, your highness?" the old man asked once he was finally done with the measurements. Roxas stepped off of the stool and adjusted his jacket at the shoulders.

"Do whatever you feel is right," he said, looking at his reflection sans any expression on his face.

"Very well, your highness," the tailor bowed and quickly retreated out of the room.

Zexion and Axel remained; both watched their prince carefully.

"May I ask a question, your highness?" Zexion queried.

"What is it?" Roxas replied, not looking at the king's advisor in the mirror.

"Why do you antagonize your father so?"

The prince of Hollow Bastion stopped what he was doing and glared at the light blue-haired man in anger. "He is not my father," he seethed. "Nor will he ever be."

"He is still the king," Zexion remarked.

"Do you take me for a fool, Lord Zexion?" the prince asked bluntly, not hiding his exasperation of the man's deliberate obtuseness.

"Your highness?" The young advisor raised an eyebrow in question, as though he was truly sincere in his examination of the prince's state of mind.

"I know you are not stupid," Roxas remarked curtly. "So why don't you drop the pretense and cease this useless attempt to bridge the differences Xemnas and I have. I will take the throne as dictated, but I will not accept him for who he is."

Whether the advisor was stunned by Roxas's perception or was angered that his plans to thwart the prince's authority over him, Roxas didn't know. The mask on that man's face was as well-made as the ones that he himself used many times in the castle.

"Very well, your highness," Zexion said with a bow. "Good day. I'll take my leave."

Roxas watched as the man swept out of the room, the only gesture that the prince interpreted as anger. He chuckled softly, shaking his head at yet another advisor attempting to ingratiate him, to get in his favor as to remain in power once the prince ascends the throne. Though, it was more likely for them to betray his deepest secrets to the king whom they serve.

It was a cynical view of the king's advisors, but Roxas knew it to be true.

He looked back at his own reflection and continued to inspect his appearance. Only after he was satisfied did he walk away from the mirror to sit at his desk, deliberately ignoring the red-haired man who remained.

"Why are you still here?" Roxas asked coolly, keeping his eyes on the map of Radiant Garden.

"Is it so deplorable for your highness to approve of anything the king does?" Axel asked bluntly, not hiding the disapproval in his voice.

"Yes, it is, Axel," the prince answered quietly. "You should know by now that I despise that man. And he has done _nothing_ to earn my love. _Nothing_."

"Not even the gifts he's given you?"

Roxas's head snapped up in annoyance, his lips pressed together in a thin line. His eyes darkened with checked emotions as they glared at the stoic servant in front of him. In the back of his mind, he wondered how long it would be before he finally snapped and acted on his emotions. Would he remain and carry out a massacre of the nobility or would he escape from his prison as Olette suggested and leave this world of lies and deceit behind?

"Material goods have no meaning," Roxas replied coldly. "They cannot buy my love and respect. I cannot call a man 'father' when he has shown me no love in return."

The personal servant looked back at his master expressionlessly, but he finally understood the teen's resentment toward the king of Hollow Bastion. King Xemnas's passionless approach in raising Roxas meant that the prince had grown up a lot faster than usual which in turn made him far more acutely aware of the events happening in and around the castle.

Without saying another word, Axel bowed crisply and left the room, giving Roxas the privacy he longed for while waiting for Hayner and Pence to report back.

He looked out the gilded window and down in the direction of the marketplace. While he remembered where that bakery was, he couldn't see it from his vantage point; he was too high up and the bakery was too small for him to pinpoint its location.

Certainly he knew not to expect them back yet, not with sunset an hour away. Still, he felt restless, unable to concentrate on anything. It didn't help that Mog hadn't shown up at the usual time that day, presumably to give the prince some time to mull over his situation before they continued their lessons. The lack of lessons meant that he had nothing to study; and he was loath to re-review the subject in their final lesson prior to all of this, not when he's already done so well over ten times during these last two days.

Tearing his eyes away from the view of the city, Roxas looked around the circular room, searching for something to occupy his mind while he waited for the telltale knock. He certainly didn't want to be out and about when they returned after all.

His eyes landed on the unfinished wood carving he had been working on a few weeks ago. The set of chisels, gouges, knives, and mallets had been a gift from Mog shortly after his fifteenth birthday as a means to distract himself from the demands of his princely life. The Moogle knew how much the blonde disliked dealing with the king and the nobility of Hollow Bastion. He had hoped that the teen would be able to calm himself through woodcarving and not give into bouts of anger as he had prone to do when they first began their lessons.

The carving had been an unfinished coat of arms, with not the symbol of Hollow Bastion, but of a symbol that he could see clearly in his mind's eye. He didn't know where the symbol came from or what it meant other than the fact that it felt strangely familiar to him.

He picked up the small carving and inspected it with amateur eyes. There were plenty of flaws in the carving, but Roxas was determined to fix them before he painted the carving and hung it on the wall. Holding a chisel in his right hand, he set the carving down and went to work, deepening the border near the edges of the coat of arms.

Time passed quickly as he worked on the carving. He was sanding the edges of the wooden plaque when the first set of knocks came and went. So engrossed in his project, he never heard the sharp raps on the door or the muffled "your highness" that followed.

Another set of knocks—this time faster—succeeded in jolting him out of his concentration and he looked up with a startle. He abandoned his project and hurried to the door, unlocking it to admit his friends. He didn't miss the looks of concern on their faces when he didn't respond to the first knock, turning into looks of relief once the door opened. He blushed lightly at his own lapse in attention, focusing more on his whimsical craft when he had been waiting intently for his friends' return.

"So?" he asked after he closed the door and turned the lock. He went over to the window and pulled the curtains closed. He didn't dare to have the king's men spying on them from the towering city walls. Olette tended to the fire in the hearth while Hayner and Pence took their places by the desk.

"You're right," Pence reported. "Marluxia sent four."

"Any trouble?"

Hayner shook his head. "They managed to jar two of Sora and Kairi's neighbors slightly, but otherwise no major damages or injuries."

"Sora?" Roxas raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name.

"Yeah," the sandy-haired teen answered. "He works at the bakery with Kairi. He was on a shopping trip when you stopped Marluxia yesterday."

"I see," Roxas nodded absentmindedly as he mulled over the report. He didn't see the two guards looking at each other questioningly then at Olette, who shrugged.

"Should we go back tomorrow?" Pence asked, snapping the prince out of his thoughts. Roxas looked up and shook his head with a smile.

"Not tomorrow," he replied. "Maybe the day after. Even if Marluxia does want to try something tomorrow, I'm sure Vexen would convince him otherwise. Did anyone find out who you guys were?"

"Besides Sora and Kairi? None," answered Hayner. "We know better than to give our true identities away, Roxas." He stared at the shorter blonde with a look of "Do you make us for idiots?" only to get a glare back from the boy

"Yes, Hayner," he quipped, trying to keep a straight face. "I do make you for an idiot sometimes."

Both Olette and Pence burst out laughing while Hayner stared jaw-dropped at the prince. When he finally got over the initial shock, he smirked at the challenge and replied with "Of course I'm an idiot. I follow you, don't I?"

"Oh, so I'm an idiot too," Roxas bantered back.

"Yup," grinned the sandy-haired guard.

The quartet of teens ended the day on a joyous note. Not even the metaphoric gray clouds on the horizon could dampen Roxas's spirits that evening.

* * *

_Disclaimer: _Kingdom Hearts_ and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: Hmm, not much to say about this chapter besides it's a bridge chapter like the previous one, but with a lot less action, ha._

_I noticed that I've made a slight parallel with Roxas and Rapunzel in this chapter since Roxas also lives in a tower and is fascinated by a symbol in his mind, much like Rapunzel was in _Tangled_. And the fact that a reader pointed out that Roxas has Mog while Rapunzel has Pascal. But, I can safely say that Roxas is not the lost prince of a distant kingdom. He's already a prince after all, hehe._

_The only reference made in here is the name of Kairi's mom "Stella", which I took from Final Fantasy Versus XIII._

_As per usual, comments and questions are more than welcome. Until the next update; hope you enjoyed the chapter._


	5. Ball

_To reviewers of chapter 4:_

_Witch of Tragedies: Yes, Sora is going to be a girl, buahahaha. There is a reason why "she" is in quotation marks in the story summary, hehe._

_KatrinaEagle: I agree that Roxas does the brooding really well. He's a little bit like Cloud in FFVIIAC, but there's more teen angst there, ha._

_Innocent Uke Or NOT: FF-dot-net has done that to me before when I wanted alerts of some of the in-progress fanfics I was reading. It certainly sucks._

* * *

**Ball**

* * *

The two weeks since Roxas first met Kairi and was subsequently barred from leaving the castle passed with surprising haste.

Although Hayner and Pence still checked up on the bakery during those two weeks, Marluxia had not sent any more men to bother Sora and Kairi. Still, Roxas knew better than to keep their guards down. He didn't doubt that Vexen, arguably Marluxia's closest and most devious ally with the face of a horse, had advised his pink-haired friend to wait until no one was watching the bakery any longer to strike again. Yet, the prince had no idea just how long Marluxia would be willing to wait. So, he came to the conclusion that as long as he was stuck behind castle walls, he would continue to send Hayner and Pence to keep an eye on the bakery. After all, neither guard would have much to do whilst their prince was "safe" under the eyes of hundreds of servants and guards all around the royal residence.

Two days before the ball, the old tailor had completed his costume, bringing it to him for final adjustments. He stood on the small stepping stool and stared into the body length mirror at his reflection, content with how the costume turned out.

A dark navy dress shirt was paired with a sharp black blazer and a pair of black pants. Polished black dress shoes that had been cobbled specially for him were on his feet. The mask itself was covered in black feathers, arranged perfectly as they splayed from the nose piece, a black painted protrusion in the shape of a beak. The craftsmanship on the mask was impeccable, as was that of the black and off-black feathered cape that draped down his back. The only non-dark part of the costume was the white gloves on his hands, a traditional part of any outfit for the nobility.

As the tailor worked to adjust the length of hems, Roxas had already noticed one potential issue with his appearance: his bright yellow hair.

Frowning at his hair, he looked over at the demure-looking red-haired servant who stood near the closed door.

"Axel," he said, watching carefully as the man looked up and bowed slightly.

"Yes, your highness," Axel answered.

"I wish to add a hat to my costume," the prince commanded. "Tell the hatter to bring me a wide brim hat with a white plume along the side."

"Yes, your highness." The servant bowed yet again and disappeared out of the room.

He refocused his attention on his own reflection, flexing his gloved hands and smiled to himself. Maybe he will do his best to enjoy himself after all.

* * *

On the day of the ball, neither Sora nor Kairi could curb their enthusiasm, their expectations of the evening. Even though Sora had been reluctant to leave his mother alone until late evening, Lady Sarah had urged them to stay at the ball and enjoy their time. It wasn't until their neighbor, Sazh Katzroy, offered to stay with her did the brown-haired teen consent to stay out longer than he first intended to.

Their costumes were packed up in individual packages in the back of the bakery; they had planned to change into them once they closed up and join the hundreds of commoners who would walk to the castle in the middle of Radiant Garden.

The day went by quickly; their bread was gone a lot earlier than they expected. Soon, the sun began to set as the first of masked commoners began making their way toward the castle.

"Come on, come on," Aqua said eagerly as she passed the bakery, where Sora was still sweeping the storefront. "You don't want to be late, do you?"

Sora laughed and shook his head. "We won't be late," he reassured her. "We're almost done. Go on ahead."

The blue-haired woman waved back at the boy and continued on her way with Riku, Squall, and Rinoa next to her. Sora smiled as they disappeared into the crowd and closed up the front, setting the broom aside before making his way to the back of the bakery.

"Kairi," he shouted before he actually reached the back area. "Are you done?"

"Yeah," she called back. "Come on back!"

The red-haired girl came into view as Sora approached. Her hair was gathered up into a half ponytail, secured by a small red bow. Her lips were colored with a light layer of rouge and her cheeks were faintly dusted with white powder. She looked absolutely elegant in her mother's dress, the garment hugging her figure very well. She smiled at him and took a turn, letting the skirt fan out temporarily to show off the many ruffles and folds.

"Well?" she asked, smiling at him.

"You look the same," he teased. Kairi pouted and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Ow," he uttered; the smile his face never fading. "Come on, you know how you look."

"I was more concerned about the makeup," she huffed.

"It's great," he replied, unwrapping the pack that held his own costume. "Will I need to wear the rouge too?"

"Why not?" giggled Kairi. "Come on, get changed and I'll help you with the hair and makeup."

Sora nodded and took off his peasant clothes, uncaring that Kairi would see him in his underwear. She helped him with the corset, making sure that he wouldn't be too uncomfortable in it, and smoothed out the dress once the boy got into it.

With his dress on, Sora sat down on a wooden box nearby to let Kairi put the light brown wig on his head, securing it with hairpins and styling it so that it draped over his left shoulder. He remained still while the girl applied the makeup on his face, lightly coloring his lips with the same rouge that she used and powdering his cheeks in the same manner.

"All done," she announced cheerfully, satisfied with her work.

Sora slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Thanks, Kairi," he replied, adding a lilt in his voice to complete the female persona.

"You're welcome." She picked up the decorated mask that complemented his dress and secured it over his face, hiding the ribbon tie in the wig. Similarly, once she was done, he helped her with her mask, a white-based visor decorated with oil paint and fluffy feathers.

When they were done, Sora looked down at his mother's dress and lightly touched the crystal-lined mask on his face. They had no mirrors, but he could imagine how he looked; the only flaw in his disguise was obvious.

"I feel awkward," he commented, poking at his chest with a blush.

"Don't worry about it," Kairi laughed. "Just act womanly and no one would suspect. It's not that uncommon."

Sora nodded silently and followed the red-haired girl out of the back door, copying what she did in gathering the front of the dress so as to not step on the hem and stumble over his footing. Their choice to leave through the back was to further disguise the fact that Sora was in a dress. And with night having fallen rapidly after sunset, no one noticed that two women left the bakery instead of one boy and one girl.

The butterflies in Sora's stomach flitted more rapidly as they joined the throng of partygoers. He had to swallow down his nervousness multiple times, even reaching for Kairi's hand for support. Fortunately, as they neared the castle, the butterflies calmed and Sora grew confident that his disguise would work; that no one would recognize him as Sora, but as his female persona: Lady Sarah Fairfarren.

The couple stopped just short of the bridge over the moat and looked upward at the grand castle, lighted with hundreds of torches throughout the building. The white moon in the night sky paled in brilliance compared to the grandiose castle. The king had taken out all the stops for this masquerade ball.

Sora looked over at Kairi, who looked back with a similar look of amazement at the extravagance they were seeing. Simultaneously taking in a deep breath, the teens followed the crowd into the castle, to be escorted en masse to the grand ballroom and the many pavilions set up in the garden.

* * *

The masque was well underway by the time Roxas finally arrived at the ballroom, dressed in his raven-themed costume. The feathered cape created the illusion of folded up wings as he moved silently through the crowd. The black mask that covered the majority of his face made it near impossible for anyone to identify him. He smiled silently underneath the wide brim of his plumed hat that covered the majority of his yellow hair. It allowed him to slip through the crowd without being stopped every couple of steps. Of course, when he was stopped, he remembered to mask his own voice by changing the tone and pitch, introducing himself as "Luc" when asked.

He knew that there were eyes following him the moment he stepped into the ballroom. The king had known about his costume and kept an eye on him, making sure that he mingled with the masses and actually went with the purpose of the ball to search for his wife. But thus far, he had no intentions of looking for such a person. He made small talks with a few commoners, listening surreptitiously to the gossip between both commoners and aristocrats alike from near and far. There were several foreign dignitaries present after all.

Thankfully the Council wasn't present.

He was nursing his third glass of wine when he saw them.

At the entrance into the ballroom were two costumed ladies: one wearing a light pink dress and the other wearing a navy blue dress. The contrast between the two was profound. But it wasn't the costume that caught his attention, but he recognized the one in the pink dress, with her hair tied up into a half ponytail. He quickly searched through the crowd, frowning when he saw the telltale pink hair on the other side of the room. While he wasn't sure Marluxia would recognize the costumed girl, _he_ recognized her just the same.

Excusing himself from the small company he had found himself with, he swiftly made his way over to the two teens, grabbing a hold of Kairi's wrist to lead her to a more private setting. Out of reflex, Kairi herself grabbed Sora's wrist to accompany them.

Once they had some semblance of privacy, Roxas let go of the girl's wrist and looked around for any stray eyes that might look their way. When he found no such spies, he took off his mask and hat, frowning at the two girls in front of him. When they recognized him, both quickly curtsied, though Roxas noted that the brunette seemed a bit awkward in her curtsey than her friend.

"What were you thinking?" he asked unhappily. "Coming here when you know that Marluxia would be present!"

"We're costumed, your highness," Kairi answered, her eyes cast downward as she stayed in her curtsey. She hoped that Sora would be able to maintain this stance as long as they needed to.

Roxas groaned.

"Besides, we wanted to see your highness," she added.

"Roxas," the prince said tersely.

"What?" Sora uttered in question, lifting his head in surprise at the prince's stating of his own name.

"None of this 'your highness' business," he said, waving dismissively at the title. "And how long do you intend on staying near the ground?" he growled.

The two girls quickly stood back up and looked at the prince with confusion and curiosity. "Your highness wishes-"

"Just call me 'Roxas'," he interrupted exasperatedly. "'Your highness' this, 'your highness' that. You don't know how annoying that gets."

Sora couldn't help but let out a snicker at the blonde's face as he expressed his annoyance. Roxas stopped short of going into a tirade and stared at the brown-haired teen.

"Your friend is laughing at me, Kairi," he said petulantly. Kairi only smiled in amusement, able to stifle the giggles that bubbled in her stomach.

"My apologies," the brown-haired teen said. "It's just that I've never seen an aristocrat, let alone a prince, pout as effectively as Kairi."

This time, it was Kairi's turn to pout. "Hey!" she exclaimed childishly.

"I don't pout," Roxas said, crossing his arms as he looked away. He glanced at the stranger out of the corner of his eye, intrigued by her quick acceptance of his request to treat him as an equal rather than the prince of Hollow Bastion. Even more interesting was her easygoing nature with himself, someone she's never known personally before. There was a mysterious aura around her that called to him; yet at the same time, she seemed genuine, hiding nothing in her mannerisms.

As if she suddenly remembered something, the brown-haired teen exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot my manners. I'm Lady Sarah Fairfarren."

* * *

Kairi's smile faltered for a brief moment when she heard the name Sora introduced himself with. She eyed her friend worriedly, afraid that instead of creating a brand new persona, he was going to live as his mother before she got married. Sora could see her worry from the corner of his eyes, but he kept looking directly at the prince, keeping up the façade effortlessly.

She had been right; Sora did like the prince and he was thankful that the white powder and his mask covered his flushed face. The prince was very handsome once he had removed his mask; the yellow hair was remarkably light and his eyes were warm. Yet, Sora sensed a darkness within, a melancholy that the prince hid from them. His initial contact with the prince where he snarled at Kairi was proof of that. And he suspected that the cool exterior the teen erected was just another mask. He didn't know the reason behind the façade, but he was going to find out.

"Roxas d'Tenebrae," the yellow-haired prince introduced himself, shaking Sora's hand. "I've never heard of you around Hollow Bastion before."

"I'm not from around here," the disguised boy explained. "I inherited the ladyship from my mother in Balamb Garden and I travel a lot."

"I see," nodded Roxas. "So you're a traveling businesswoman?"

"More or less," Sora laughed musically. He was almost amazed at his own behavior, how easily it was for him to slip into this Lady Sarah persona. "I might be young, but my parents have taught me everything about their enterprises. I just have to maintain them for now."

The sound of footsteps approaching them quickly silenced any further conversation as they looked in the direction of the newcomer. Roxas let out a breath of relief to find Hayner standing in the doorway looking rather annoyed.

"The king was starting to look for you in the crowd," he informed the prince. "Any longer and he's going to send guards to keep you in the ballroom."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Typical."

"Olette suggests that you dance at least for awhile before you go to the dinner pavilion. At least make some effort to look for someone."

The prince sighed melodramatically but he knew his friend was right. The longer he dragged this out, the more agonizing it will be for him. He would have to endure several more of these masquerades before his birthday if he didn't find a potential wife tonight.

"She's even offered to dance if you so wish," the guard added.

"I would still have to find someone," muttered Roxas to himself.

"Um," Sora interrupted the brief exchange. "Perhaps we can be of some assistance?" Roxas looked at the lady with a raised eyebrow, wondering where she was going with this.

"You have to dance with someone right? If you dance with Kairi, me, and Olette?" Roxas nodded at the correct pronunciation of the servant girl's name. "Then shouldn't that be enough time before you could go to the dinner pavilion without the king hounding you?"

"That would work," Hayner pointed out. "Pence and Olette are on the dance floor right now. We could join them."

"Did you see where Marluxia was?" Roxas asked.

"Getting drunk with Lady Larxene," he replied. "It won't be long before the king sends someone to drag his sorry ass out of the ballroom before he made a scene."

The prince's eyes twinkled with amusement at the information. He secured the feathered mask on his face and replaced the hat on his head then turned to the two girls and smiled. "I'll take up on your offer," he said, holding a hand out to the brown-haired lady. Sora shyly took his hand and followed him back into the ballroom from balcony. He looked back to see Hayner bowing to a blushing Kairi and his friend following them with the sandy-haired guard with her arm hooked in his elbow.

The orchestra was just finishing a quick waltz when the two couples reached the edge of the dance floor. As Hayner stated, Pence and Olette were amongst the many dancers. Unlike Hayner, who was dressed in his finest uniform without a mask, Pence had on his royal guard helmet, which hid the upper half of his face like a common mask, along with his finest guard uniform. The black horsetail plume arced towards the back from the middle of the pointed helm and ran down to his shoulder. Olette, on the other hand, had worn a burgundy red dress embroidered with white thread patterns. A plain yellow mask sat perched on her face, the white ribbon linked to the bow that tied her hair into a braided ponytail.

At the conclusion of the waltz, a round of applause echoed through the ballroom. The four teens joined the couples who remained on the dance floor and took their positions.

Sora nervously placed one hand on Roxas's shoulder and the other in his outstretched hand, jumping slightly when the prince placed his hand at his waist just above the skirt in typical dance form. The blonde wasn't blind to his dance partner's edginess.

"Not used to dancing?" he asked with a soft smile.

"I haven't danced a lot in five years," Sora confessed. "We practiced, but I'm still not familiar with the dances, certainly not the ones of Hollow Bastion."

"Don't worry," Roxas smiled. "Just follow my lead. It'll be a moderate tempo waltz this time."

"How do you know?" Sora asked in surprise.

"The pattern is the same every single time," Roxas answered, leading Sora in the waltz as the music began.

"And after the waltz, it will be a country dance. Then two more waltzes, then another square dance. And it will keep repeating until the king retires."

Sora barely heard the explanation, trying to remember the pattern of the basic waltz. He nearly tripped over his own feet when the prince laughed.

"What," Sora said, stopping their dance to pay better attention to the blonde.

"You're too tense," Roxas said. "Just relax and follow the music. It'll come to you if you've danced before."

The brown-haired teen smiled weakly and nodded, resetting his steps to follow his partner's lead. Gradually, he ceased his conscious effort in controlling his footwork, letting his feet do the work as they followed the music.

Roxas watched as his dancing partner's entire posture relaxed with the dance, letting the music carry her feet. The smile on the masked girl's face grew wider as the dance continued; her fear of making a mistake completely forgotten.

The prince made no attempts to converse with the mysterious lady, simply watched and tried to pin down the words to describe the girl. She seemed cheerful, yet at the same time, she seemed strangely reserved. It was as though something was holding her back, keeping her true self behind a similar mask like the one she wore that evening.

Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts and feelings about the girl in front of him, the dance came to an end and another round of applause filled the air.

Even Sora clapped politely at the conclusion of the waltz, relieved that he was able to get through one

dance without disaster. He hooked one arm around Roxas's arm and followed him to stand in a loose square with three other couples: Hayner and Kairi, Pence and Olette, and Squall and Rinoa-who were unaware of the identities of the people they were about to participate in the social dance with.

The butterflies in Sora's stomach came back as the orchestra changed sheet music for the next dance. He couldn't remember the basic steps of the country dance—only remembering that it was more free form than the three-step waltz.

A gentle pat on his hand in the crook of Roxas's elbow snapped him out of his anxiety and he looked over to the prince, who looked back with an encouraging smile. He took in a deep breath and told himself that he could do this. He just needed to imitate what the other girls were doing with their partners.

The music began and the four couples took rhythmic steps toward the center of the square. They held hands to make a ring and took six steps in the clockwise direction before taking another six steps in the counterclockwise direction. Breaking into couples, Sora followed Hayner's lead and went into a turn with his dance partner.

Not many words were exchanged during the dance as each participant never stayed with their current partner for long. And as quickly the dance began, it concluded.

As Sora had suggested, they switched partners for the following waltz. So now, he was dancing with Pence while Kairi was partnered with Roxas and the girl named Olette with Hayner. He took a glance at the prince and his dancing partner and couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. Surprised by his own feelings, he internally shook away the negative thoughts and focused his attention back onto himself, his own dancing partner, and the dance that had yet to start.

When the music started, Sora smiled at the familiar three-step waltz; Roxas was right. While it was slower than the previous waltz, its tempo was still fast enough that kept Sora from falling back into the bad habit of minding his feet.

"I'm Pence," the helmeted teen introduced himself.

"I'm Sarah," Sora smiled. "Kairi and Sora told me about you and Hayner. Thank you for your help."

"We're just following orders," Pence replied with a blush. "So, what do you think about Ven?"

Sora caught himself before he responded the question. After all, even though "Lady Sarah Fairfarren" had heard about the two personal guards to his highness Prince Roxas d'Tenebrae, she shouldn't know about the pseudonym. And Sora could not risk letting others suspect who Lady Sarah Faifarren truly was.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked instead, only a hint of a smile on his masked face.

"His highness," explained Pence.

"Oh," Sora uttered, pretending to think about his answer for the first time. "He is a very interesting man," he answered. "Doesn't seem to talk a lot, though."

"That's just how he is," Pence grinned. "He's on guard the whole day from the moment he leaves his room until he returns."

"Why is that?" the brown-haired teen questioned.

"Let's just say that Ven did not turn out to be the heir his majesty had envisioned."

"Then why keep him as heir? Why not disown Ven and pick another one?" Sora frowned.

"That, I do not know," Pence answered truthfully. "You'll have to ask Ven about it. Though I'm not sure he would answer you."

The brown-haired teen laughed softly. "Of course not," he remarked in "Sarah's" musical voice. "He hardly knows me. Why would he answer such a personal question? Not that I would ask him such a personal question in the first place."

"But you are going to get better acquainted with Ven, aren't you?" the stocky guard pressed enthusiastically. "Aren't you the least bit attracted to him?"

"You should know better than to ask a lady about her heart's feelings, Sir Pence," Sora replied coyly, much to Pence's chagrin. The brown-haired boy tried not to laugh when he saw the deep red blush on the helmeted teen's face.

Fortunately for Pence, the piece came to an end soon after, stopping him from making a bigger fool of himself in front of the witty lady. They exchanged bows and curtsies before they separated and Sora went directly over to Kairi, leading her off the dancing floor.

Though he had enjoyed the dances, Sora still had an irrational fear that he would mess up and embarrass himself despite the prince's confidence in his abilities. Because of this, he was content to get off the dancing floor once they had completed three dances as they first planned. Besides, they had danced for over an hour now and the disguised boy was eager to take a break and get dinner.

Of course, he wouldn't admit that he was hungry. At least not until Roxas suggested that they made their way to dinner.

"We would be delighted," Kairi said with a smile. Sora nodded silently in agreement.

* * *

_Disclaimer: _Kingdom Hearts_ and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: And now, Sora and Roxas finally meet… I keep thinking I should draw a picture of them all in their masquerade costumes, but I'm not really a good drawer. So all I can do is to try and describe them with words as best as I can, hehe._

_I will have to admit, it will seem confusing when I refer to Sora with both masculine and feminine pronouns; just keep in mind that "Sarah" is male when I'm writing from the perspective of Sora, Kairi, and Sora's mom. "Sarah" is female when I'm writing from everyone else's perspective. That is why Sora's "gender" changes from paragraph to paragraph depending on the character I'm writing for._

_New characters introduced are Vexen and Larxene, Sazh Katzroy from FFXIII, and Rinoa Heartilly from FFVIII. The only one of those four who will have a relatively larger role is Sazh, but that's as much as I'll say about that._

_In any case, I've been a bit busy lately with Thanksgiving and stuff, so the next chapter will probably not be out until December starts. Hope you all have a great weekend and for people who celebrate Thanksgiving, hope you all have a happy Turkey Day! Haha._


	6. Evening

_To reviewers of chapter 5:_

_KatrinaEagle: I'm not much of a drawer, so I will admit that I have no idea what your obscure drawer joke meant, haha. But I will agree, Sora sounds very adorable and Roxas sounds very cool and suave. (Insert fangirl giggle… oh dear god XD)_

_Innocent Uke Or NOT: Sora's not one to come up with some brand new character with her own history. Besides, what fun would it be if Roxas can't find records to confront Sora with? Though I will admit, it would be interesting if I went with "Miss Cloud" or "Claire Farron" instead. Too much Final Fantasy VII and XIII in me, haha._

_Lionwings: Thanks for all the compliments. And yes, this cross-dressing thing will be very interesting indeed. I'm glad that the constant switching of pronouns isn't confusing to you. Eventually, Sora will be Sora and not have a pseudo-"gender crisis" like he is having right now, eh, eh? (wink)_

_Witch of Tragedies: Probably because "Sarah" is the name of Sora's mother. Hehe._

_CeceSkittleburst: Thanks for the compliment. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter._

_Chaoschaser01: Thanks! I do my best to stick to "historical" accuracies. In this case though, there is still an element of fantasy involved, however little magic there is, XD._

* * *

**Evening**

* * *

Kairi looked over at Sora with a slight frown on her face, wondering what exactly he had been thinking when he created the "Lady Sarah Fairfarren" persona. While they were in Hollow Bastion, "Fairfarren" is such an uncommon last name that Sora's cover would be easily undermined should someone seek to look into his background, especially considering the fact that "Lady Sarah Fairfarren" should be decades older and have already taken up the surname of "Caelum" with her marriage to Sora's father.

"You seem much more relaxed than your friend with dancing," Roxas remarked with a smile, turning the redhead's attention back to him just before the music started. "And I thought she's the aristocrat?"

"She travels too much," Kairi answered, quietly scolding herself for coming up with such a lame excuse regardless of its plausibility. "I don't think she ever paid much attention to her lessons."

"And you?" he asked as they continued the three-step waltz smoothly. "You know your dances."

She blushed lightly. "Before I worked at the bakery, I was the companion to an aristocratic boy in Trabia. I served as his dancing partner in practice many times." Well, that wasn't entirely a lie.

"You're not from Hollow Bastion either?" Roxas asked in surprise, his raised eyebrow went unseen behind the mask.

"No," smiled Kairi. "I didn't arrive until two years ago."

"How did you meet Sarah then?" he asked after the girl spun around under his guidance. "Sounds like you two came to Radiant Garden around the same time."

"I knew the old man who was working in the bakery before me," she lied. "He was an old friend of my great aunt's and he was the one who took me in after I moved to Hollow Bastion."

"By yourself?" the prince inquired in surprise.

She shook her head. "I moved here with my grandma. She died shortly after we arrived though."

"My condolences."

"It's all right," Kairi replied with a wistful smile. "She's in a better place now."

Roxas simply smiled, watching his dancing partner fall into silence as she appeared to reminisce. In reality, Kairi was mulling over the brief conversation she had with the prince over Sora. She suspected that he was intrigued by "Lady Sarah", but she couldn't tell his level of interest in the persona.

"What do you think about Sarah?" she asked.

"She's…" He mulled over the words, trying to find the perfect descriptor. "Strange."

"Oh?" Kairi raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. "How so?"

"She's unlike any member of the upper class that I've ever met," he replied frankly. "There is a humility there that's not common amongst the nobles of Hollow Bastion. Were the Fairfarrens of a humble beginning?"

"Not that I know" was the reply. Kairi didn't dare to say something that might otherwise contradict what Sora had in mind if and when he does elaborate on the history of "Lady Sarah Fairfarren". Though she knew of the background behind Sora's mother, she had no idea what part of her godmother's history would be part of Sora's persona.

"What I can say is that she is very caring; too caring sometimes," she added, her voice so soft that Roxas almost missed the last bit. She looked directly into the prince's eyes, a solemn warning to the blond-haired teen. "If you wish to know more about her, please be careful."

"I should think it'd be the other way around," Roxas replied with a smirk, but his partner did not share his levity. She did crack a smile, however weak it appeared.

At the conclusion of the waltz, Roxas bowed to the red-haired teen as she curtsied back. Sarah walked over and hooked an arm around Kairi's own before leading her off the dance floor. Roxas was momentarily confused at their departure until he realized they've gone through three dances already. He followed the couple away from the dancing area, knowing perfectly well that Hayner, Pence, and Olette had followed him and were awaiting his requests.

"Shall we make our way to dinner?" the yellow-haired prince suggested once they were all off the floor. Behind him, another waltz had begun and whatever attention the group of teens might have attracted was quickly focused back on the dancers.

Sora looked over at Kairi and nodded to her.

"We would be delighted," Kairi said with a smile.

"Then follow me," grinned Hayner, offering his arm to the red-haired girl. Roxas raised an eyebrow at his friend's eagerness to spend more time with the bakery worker; after all, he hadn't shown any particular interest in a romance before. This uncharacteristic behavior was met with unspoken suspicion, but the prince chose to let it go. Perhaps his friend had realized that they were approaching the time of marriage before they grew too old and all prospective mates had been taken.

Surprisingly, Pence and Olette quickly followed behind Hayner and Kairi, looking back with smiles on their faces as if they knew something that their prince didn't.

For a brief moment, Roxas was confused by his friends' actions, seemingly leaving him and Kairi's mysterious friend behind. Then, he realized that they had planned on pairing them up for the rest of the night. His face colored with pink at his subordinates' insinuations. Luckily, he was facing away from the said girl and was able to adjust his appearance before looking at Sarah.

"Is something wrong?" she asked quietly, placing a hand on his arm with checked concern. He looked back with a smile and offered his arm out for her.

"Nothing," he replied. "Nothing's wrong. Shall we?"

The masked lady nodded with a smile of her own and the pair followed their friends out of the ballroom and into the garden beyond.

The night air was crisp and cool, perfumed with a light floral scent from all the roses around them. Sora took in a deep breath, glad to be out of the stuffy ballroom even though he did enjoy the dancing. His companion mistook the deep inhale as a reaction to the grand garden around them.

"A lavish garden," Roxas quipped distastefully. He kept his eyes staring straight and not straying over the hundreds of rose bushes within the garden or the thousands of flowers that were maintained perfectly for this occasion. The deliberate design tainted the natural beauty he once found comforting. He was sickened by the attempt to control nature, not to mention that the amount of gold spent just to make the garden look perfect for this one occasion should have been used to help the hard workers who were being exploited by the plutocrats of Hollow Bastion.

Sora looked over at the prince quizzically, remaining silent as they continued down the path. He was never one to appreciate the artificial nature that was a garden, much preferring the untamed wilds like the forests and plains they passed through from Balamb Garden to Hollow Bastion. Still, the prince's complaints were rather annoying; the sneering tone used made Sora wonder if the prince appreciated anything.

While the others were pushing for "Sarah" to get closer to the prince, Sora had his reservations. There was something about Roxas that was out of place, something that he couldn't quite place his finger on.

They walked past Kairi and Hayner, who had stopped to let the red-haired girl take a closer look at the many roses that were in full bloom. Still, the brown-haired "girl" paid little attention to the flowers around him, looking directly at the glowing pavilion in front of them.

Roxas smirked as they passed by the pair before glancing at his companion, suddenly curious as to why the lady hadn't stopped to admire the garden like many of the other women, especially with her sharp inhale at the beginning of their walk to dinner. He didn't get a chance to voice his question when they entered the tented area that served as one of the many dining pavilions within the garden. He frowned upon hearing the boisterous laughter and loud conversation coming from one section of the room.

Sora's eyes scanned across the area sadly, noting the subdued atmosphere that hung over the room as peasants ate their dinner. There were far more commoners at the feasting tables than at the dance, a solemn reminder of the differences in priorities between the rich and the poor. It didn't help that commoners aren't practiced in dancing as their richer counterparts.

Even he himself salivated at the thought of filling his belly with finely prepared dishes that neither he nor Kairi could ever recreate; certainly not over the central hearth at home.

He swallowed down the saliva that had begun to pool in his mouth and unconsciously placed one hand over his corseted abdomen. He searched for an open table and smiled when he found one. Looking over at his companion, he followed Roxas's eyes to find the source of the noise and the reason for the prince's displeasure. There were aristocrats sitting at two adjacent tables and dined without decorum as they cackled and conversed loudly. The scowl on Roxas's face prompted Sora to quickly intervene.

"Come on," he said softly, pulling the blonde in the direction of the open table. "I found seats for all of us."

Roxas didn't protest as the brown-haired teen steered him away from the noisy aristocrats, smiling weakly when he found himself at the table all the way on the other end, where the noise was surprisingly muted compared to before.

He kept a stoic face as men helped them with their chairs and poured red wine and water into goblets in front of them. These workers were the only ones who didn't partake in the festivities; indentured servants and slaves from both near and far filled the roles of servers and chefs and cleaners while the usual staff rested for the evening and participated in the ball. While he wished that these serfs who made up the lowest class in their society could have a little bit of fun, he also knew that they were happy to get away from the hard labor usually relegated to them.

"I'm starving," Pence remarked with a grin on his face. He didn't take off his helmet, just as the others who were masked didn't take off their masks either.

"You're always hungry," Hayner quipped.

"I'm still growing," his friend replied easily, earning himself a polite laugh from Kairi and a snort from Roxas. Olette gave him a playful slap on his shoulder, only to be answered with Pence's toothy grin.

The servers set down small plates of tossed greens in front of them, the first of many dishes that would be served to them as long as they remained seated at the tables. With the large number of participants, it was natural to use every ingredient known to man; and that included the vegetables that were mostly for commoners than for aristocrats. Had the wines and spirits not been flowing, Roxas knew that the aristocrats would surely make a bigger scene at being served poor man's dishes over their heavily sauced versions.

"So what brought you to Hollow Bastion?" Roxas asked the lady seated to the right of him after they were served a sampling of herbed roasted fowls. "Was it the ball?"

Sora laughed as politely as he could manage, his sapphire eyes twinkling with humor. "I own the bakery you saved," he answered. "Kairi and Sora are my employees."

"Speaking of Sora," Hayner interjected, "where is he? I thought he was looking forward to the ball."

"He couldn't come," Kairi quickly answered, noticing "Sarah" freezing slightly. She knew he was never good at making up excuses—not like her. "His mother got worse."

"Poor woman," Sora added sadly. "She's been sick for quite some times. None of the healers that I've found have been able to cure her of her illness. They're considered the best healers too…"

"Is there something I can do?" Roxas asked with concern. "Perhaps the apothecary can…"

"Thank you for your concern, Ven," the brunet answered softly with a weak smile. "But neither Sora nor his mother would wish for more charity. You have given them hope already; and that's good enough."

"Besides," added Kairi cheerfully, "the money you gave us has helped them."

"I'm glad then."

* * *

Towards the end of dinner, Pence and Hayner had to leave the party with their captain summoning them for a debriefing. Though Roxas was distrustful of everyone else in the castle, he said nothing, only nodding silently as the pair left.

There were times when he wondered if he was too paranoid, that he shouldn't involve the castle servants in this silent war between himself and the king by treating them all as spies. Yet, at the same time, he feared that if he let his guard down—like he did six years ago—someone would take advantage of his trust.

He even had the scar on his side to remind himself to remain vigilant.

The traditional after dinner tea was quickly served once they had finished their desserts. It was perhaps one of the simple pleasures that Roxas truly enjoyed in the castle. The aroma of tea always soothed his frayed nerves at the end of a tiresome day.

With his attention on savoring his tea, he missed the private conversation Olette was having with Kairi until he took a glance at them.

He raised an eyebrow at the two ladies as they stifled their giggles. Beside him, Sarah seemed oblivious to her friend's private conversation to Olette. Instead, she held her teacup with both hands with such tenderness that Roxas almost thought she was treating the porcelain cup like it was some priceless treasure. However, the gloves that she had been wearing were off, set aside on the table.

"Cold?" he inquired, cocking his head slightly to the right as he looked at her, bemused by her actions. The temperature was cool, but it wasn't _that_ chilly in his opinion.

She set the cup down and smiled weakly at the prince. The blush on her cheeks was barely visible underneath the layer of white powder on her face. "My hands are naturally cold," she explained shyly. "The gloves aren't actually making it any better. They're just making my palms clammy."

"I have the same problem!" Olette exclaimed with a gasp. "I have to keep moving my fingers or they'll get cold."

The brown-haired lady nodded in agreement. "I wish I didn't have to wear the gloves in the first place."

"Maybe you should get new gloves," Roxas suggested. "Well fitted gloves should warm your hands, not make them cold."

"I don't wear gloves that often." She replied with an awkward smile, her face flushed with embarrassment at her deliberate disregard of the aristocratic fashion conventions. "There is no reason for me to get a new pair of gloves if I don't intend on wearing them regularly."

Roxas smirked at her displeasure of the hoity-toity aristocratic norms, his own cornflower eyes sparkling with amusement and fascination. He didn't think he would ever find someone else who was just as annoyed by the uptight decorum of aristocracy as he was.

"Perhaps a stroll through the garden would do some good," suggested Kairi with a mischievous look on her face. "Staying in here does nothing for your circulations." Sora was completely unaware of the reasoning behind his friend's suggestion.

"Maybe," he replied with a shrug. But, he stood up to follow Kairi's advice. It was getting somewhat uncomfortable with the corset around his waist, undoubtedly because he had just eaten his dinner.

"Ven can accompany you," added Olette, though Sora didn't hear it.

"What?" Roxas blinked at his friend, amazingly just as clueless about the two ladies' intentions. "You're not coming?"

"You have a jacket," she pointed out. "We like it in here."

The prince rolled his eyes at her, seeing through her lame excuse. "I know what you're doing," he said.

"What am I doing?" Olette replied with a smile, acting innocently and batting her eyelashes at him. "If you don't hurry, Sarah's going to go off without you."

Roxas turned his head to find the lady already leaving the pavilion through the nearest exit, seemingly unaware that she was alone. He gave Olette a glare of annoyance before he quickly got up and chased after the brunette, removing the feathered cape and his jacket in the process.

Sora stopped with a start when he felt something heavy draped around his shoulders. He turned to see the yellow-haired prince placing a jacket over him, the feather cape folded in half as it hung over one arm.

"Th-thank you," he replied gratefully, clutching the jacket to keep it over his shoulders. Roxas said nothing, only smiled happily at the blushing teen.

The couple turned off one of the main cobblestoned paths that divided the rose garden into quarters and onto a small gravel path, with Roxas leading the way to a gazebo near the fountain where he told Olette about the existence of the Council a few weeks ago.

As they continued further and further away from the main path, Sora could feel his heart fluttering with giddy anticipation. He was alone with the silent prince and there was no one to bother them. His fingers tightened around the jacket that warmed his body and his nose picked up the faint scent of pine, even though only rose bushes surrounded them.

"It's a beautiful night," he remarked, blushing when his voice came out like a meek squeak due to his anxiousness.

"Pardon?" the prince replied, looking at his companion. He was half-amused and half-confused by the sound he heard from the lady. Surely she wasn't turning into one of those star-stricken teenage girls he's met at countless aristocratic functions who let out ear-piercing squeals when they meet him.

The brown-haired boy coughed with a nervous laugh before repeating himself. "It's a beautiful night."

"I suppose," Roxas replied. "Would be better if there wasn't this ball."

Sora's smile faltered slightly on his face as he stared at the prince. Had Pence not told him about the blonde's strained relationships with the king and the household staff at the castle, he would have thought that the prince was simply being aloof.

"But," the prince continued thoughtfully, "if there wasn't this ball, I wouldn't have been able to meet you."

"And the ball gave us a break," added Sora cheerfully. "A chance to get away from the harsh world outside the castle."

"Why are you running a bakery anyway?" Roxas finally asked, unable to keep his curiosity in check any longer. "Surely there are easier, more profitable businesses to run."

Sora gave him a sideway smirk. "No business is easy," he replied. "The bakery is not just a source of income; it is a way of life."

Roxas looked at the brunette quizzically. "I don't understand. What do you mean 'it's a way of life'?"

"Many, many years ago, well before I was born," Sora began his explanation, "my great-grandmother was once a servant in the Fairfarren household, working in the kitchens. She was a master at baking bread; there wasn't a soul who knew of the Fairfarrens who didn't praise the breads made by her. At times, friends of the Fairfarrens begged to borrow her temporarily for a party. That was how good her breads were."

"Rather amazing at how such a simple thing could have such a powerful effect," the prince remarked. Sora thought there was a little patronizing tone in the blonde's voice, but he didn't care. Instead, he just laughed softly as he continued his story.

"When my great-grandfather first proposed to her, she thought he was daft _and_ mad. She thought—just as my great-great grandparents thought—that something in her bread was acting like a love potion, even though no one else had the same desire to go out and propose to their secret crushes. She knew her place and had never thought much of the Fairfarren son.

"Still, he was persistent and wasn't at all crazy. After a year or two of his courtship, his parents finally accepted the fact that he was indeed in love with the little baker and consented to his decision. My great-grandmother, however, still believed that he was not of the sound mind. Of course, it didn't help his cause that every single time he had proposed was in the presence of bread, whether in the kitchens or at the dining tables. She spent most of her waking moments in the kitchen."

Roxas couldn't help but share the amused laugh that the storyteller voiced before she had continued the story.

"Did she carry her bread everywhere with her too?" he asked with a smile on his face. The twinkle in his eyes told Sora that he was fascinated by this life story and the brunet couldn't fault him. His grandmother had giggled more than once whenever she told the story to Kairi and himself when they were children.

"If she had her way, I'm sure she would have," he answered with a laugh. "Of course, my great-grandfather could never track her down outside of the kitchen to profess his love to her."

"What changed her mind then? Since you stand here before me today, I take it your great-grandfather finally convinced her that his love was true?"

The brown-haired teen nodded. "It was about four years after he first started courting my great-grandmother," he continued. "She had been so devoted to baking bread that she never thought to seek out her future husband. And he remained a bachelor even though he was in his twenties, several years after the average marriage age back then. It had been her parents' pressure that made her reconsider my great-grandfather's feelings. As devoted as she was to her bread, she was still conscious of her own future. She remembered all the goofy things he did, like bringing her flowers when she was covered head to toe with flour or making a mess of her working table when he tried to learn how to bake bread."

"The other servants weren't jealous?" Roxas raised an eyebrow. He's overheard enough servants' conversations to know that jealousy spans all classes; just because commoners are hard workers didn't exempt them from the vices of envy and greed.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, she had her shares of jealous words from the younger female servants, who ridiculed her for rejecting the advances of their mutual lord. She didn't care much for their spite though. That wasn't the main reason which made her confront my great-grandfather; she didn't need the arsenal to quash her fellow servants' jealousy. She had to know for herself.

"She waited until it was her eighteenth birthday before she actively sought him out for the first time. As per usual, he was at the archery, practicing his skills. He was surprised when she showed up, so much so that his arrow had missed its target completely—very uncharacteristic for him. She took him directly away from the practice fields and asked him—rather bluntly, I might add—if he still loved her.

"He was firm with his response and told her that if she's found another man who cherished her as much as he did, then he would no longer pursue her."

"An honorable man," Roxas commented approvingly.

"She asked if he was planning to remain a bachelor if she did marry some other man. He hesitated for a moment, contemplating his desire and his own duties to the Fairfarren bloodline and told her that if it were up to him, he would."

"But since his parents would want an heir to their legacies, he would still have to marry to some available lady," Roxas concluded.

"Yes," nodded Sora. "His answer proved that he wasn't bonkers at all and his devotion to her was something that she cherished. They got engaged that very day and were married barely six months later."

"That still doesn't explain why you chose to run a bakery," the prince remarked poignantly.

"Bread is an essential part of life," the storyteller answered, "and baking involves devotion to one's craft. Anyone can bake bread, but not all breads sustain life as much as one baked with devotion and love. That is the reason why my great-grandmother's bread had such a profound effect on everyone who ate it. They could taste the love and warmth in each slice, in each bite. It's the same effect that I'm trying to impart on the common people of Hollow Bastion."

The prince mulled over the words. "They certainly deserve it," he nodded.

"I'm glad you understand my motives now," smiled the masked lady. "We chose Radiant Garden because it's far enough away that no one knows the noble history associated with the name 'Fairfarren'. Commoners don't exactly trust aristocrats."

"Indeed not," Roxas replied simply.

They fell silent as they stepped into the gazebo near the fountain that sprinkled down clear water continuously, the sound of water falling calming Sora's nerves as he took in his surroundings now that he wasn't telling his real great-grandmother's story. His ears perked up as distant bells tolled twelve times, informing all of Radiant Garden that it was midnight. He bit his lower lips, the worry for his mother suddenly returning in full force. He pursed his lips together and made up his mind.

"My apologies, your highness," he curtsied to the prince. "It is getting late and I have an early start in front of me."

Roxas raised an eyebrow in surprise at her sudden decision to leave. He didn't even register her use of his title before she handed him his jacket.

"It was a pleasure to meet you," she added with yet another curtsey. "If you see Kairi again, please tell her I returned home already and will see her again in two weeks."

"Uh-ah…" Roxas blurted with a nod, astoundingly dumbfounded by the abrupt change of events. "I will tell her."

"Thank you, your highness," the lady said gratefully. She turned and hurried back in the direction of the dinner pavilion, disappearing into the maze that was the rose garden.

The yellow-haired prince looked down at the bundle in his hands; the black jacket was warm as expected, but one pocket was strangely bulging out with some unknown content. He reached in and pulled out a set of white gloves from the pocket, realizing that they were the gloves that Sarah had decidedly shed during dinner. Though he didn't know when he'd see her again, he decided he would keep the gloves for now and personally return them to her whenever he could.

* * *

_Disclaimer: _Kingdom Hearts_ and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: Forgot to mention in the previous chapter where "Fairfarren" came from. It's the word equivalent to "farewell" or "good-bye" used in Tim Burton's _Alice in Wonderland_ if anyone wanted to know. The word is so cool that I couldn't help but use it as a surname._

_I've had the same issue as Sora does with gloves. Having your hands get clammy is annoying, ha. While I'm pretty positive that well fitted gloves wouldn't actually stymie blood circulation to your fingers, I have yet to find a pair of gloves that does it._

_In any case, the end of the chapter is similar to how Cinderella left the ball with the midnight bells and leaving something behind. But no, no glass slippers here. I'm not even sure there would be a glass slipper large enough for Sora's gigantic feet (wink), XD._

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I will be updating again in the next couple of weeks, depending on how busy I get with the end of semester coming up. As usual, reviews are welcome!_


	7. Pretense

_To reviewers of chapter 6:_

_KatrinaEagle: I'm sure mittens are much better at keeping hands warm. I wouldn't know though, I never really bothered with them. XP_

_Witch of Tragedies: I do wonder what would happen if "Sarah" was kidnapped. And I don't have plans to make Kairi have a false male identity at the moment. Although… it would be interesting to see Kairi acting as the guy who protects Sora, haha._

_j99450: Hehe, it would be fun to see the look on Roxas's face._

_Innocent Uke Or NOT: Thanks for the compliment. To be honest, sometimes having cheesy stuff isn't a bad thing either, XD_

_blood as soft as silk: For now, I can tell you that Cloud is not dead, but he's not going to get introduced until much later. You'll just have to wait._

* * *

**Pretense**

* * *

The smile on Kairi's face was so wide that it almost split her face in half. Her heart was filled with girlish giddiness, her mind filled with romantic fantasies—all because of the potential relationship between her best friend and a prince. There was a seed of fear for her friend in the back of her mind, but she didn't let the worry dampen her spirits at all.

A giggle from her right snapped her out of her reverie. She looked over at her new friend and raised an eyebrow in question.

"What's so funny?" she asked, blinking at the sienna-haired girl deliberately.

"The look on your face," Olette replied, still giggling. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the one in love or something."

Kairi scoffed playfully at the suggestion. "It's not every day when you can come up hundreds of scenarios to tease your friend with."

"Aren't you even a bit jealous that your friend might end up having a future with Ven?"

"Not at all," laughed the redhead. "I'll admit that Ven is handsome, but he's not someone I'd want to spend the rest of my life with. He seems too reserved."

"You don't know half of it," replied Olette. "I can't stand it when he gets all broody on us."

Both girls giggled simultaneously.

"Kairi?" a familiar voice cut through the girlish laughter. The red-haired teen's head snapped up in recognition as she turned in the direction of the voice. Her eyes found a masked woman with the distinctive blue hair that she easily recognized anywhere.

"Aqua!" she greeted happily. She looked over to the table where the blue-haired woman was and found Riku speaking to a red-haired man who Kairi assumed to be Wakka based on the animated gestures the slightly older man was doing.

The owner of the leather goods shop walked over to her and grinned at the younger girl. "How long have you been at the tables?"

"We just got done with our dinner," Kairi explained. "Oh! Aqua, this is Olette, she works at the castle. Olette, meet Aqua, one of my neighbors."

Aqua removed her mask and held out a hand for a handshake, smiling kindly at the sienna-haired girl. For a brief moment, Olette seemed dumbfounded before she regained her composure and removed her own mask to introduce herself to the woman. The blush on her face did not go unseen.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "Sorry, I think I had a bit too much to drink. I don't drink alcohol that much."

The blue-haired woman laughed. "I know what you mean," she said, wrinkling her nose a bit. "I'm not a big drinker myself. Thank goodness they do serve plain water here."

"Yeah, I would just drink water, but I doubt my friends would've let me," Olette replied.

"Let me guess, Hayner and Pence?" Kairi supplied with amusement. The sienna-haired girl rolled her eyes and nodded her head, irritation evident on her face.

"Wait," Aqua mused thoughtfully. "Aren't Hayner and Pence…"

"They're not foreigners," laughed Kairi, much to the confusion of the servant girl. "They're royal guards, namely personal guards for his highness."

"I thought so!" the older woman exclaimed. "I thought they seemed rather strange for foreigners. They were awfully knowledgeable of Hollow Bastion to be foreign guns for hire. I've known visitors from foreign lands who asked a lot of questions when they arrived. Those two just sat there and nodded as the older generation prattled on about the politics of Hollow Bastion."

"Was that their cover?" Olette raised an eyebrow in question. "Mercenaries?"

The redhead giggled with a nod. "They told Sora and me their true identities while you and Aerith were tending to Squall and Riku."

"I see." Aqua nodded in understanding. "Where is Sora anyway? I saw him at the bakery before we left."

"You know Sazh's son?"

"Dajh, right? What about him?" Aqua took the seat to Kairi's left and looked at her attentively.

"He dropped by right after you talked to Sora. His mother got worse."

The smile on the woman's face faltered in sympathy, knowing how ill Sora's mother was. There were times when she wondered if Sarah Caelum ever wished for death to spare her son the burden of caring for her for the rest of her sickly life. Yet, she didn't want to find out how Sora and Kairi would react to her death. She could only hope that they wouldn't be devastated when the day comes. The cheerfulness that she has come to associate with the two teens was something she didn't want to lose.

"Auntie would have been upset if I didn't go to the ball either," Kairi added. "So, here I am." Her gesture that signified her presence here seemed to be one of irony, that she was here "enjoying" herself despite her godmother's plight. She frowned within however, the guilt of having to lie to a good friend gnawing at her heart.

"Poor woman," Aqua commented, echoing what "Lady Sarah Fairfarren" had said during dinner.

"How sick is Sora's mom?" Olette asked in concern.

"Sick enough that she is bedridden for the majority of the day," answered Kairi. "The only other symptom besides the weakness is her chronic cough."

"Doesn't sound bad at all," the servant girl commented.

The redhead smiled and shook her head. "No, it doesn't. But she's had it for years now. That's the worrisome part."

"You know." Aqua hesitated, unsure whether she should venture into the inevitable future after the death of Sora's mother. "I mean, will you be okay after your godmother dies?" Kairi only smiled at the worried look the older woman was giving her.

"You don't have to worry, Aqua," she reassured the concerned woman. "We'll be fine. We all know that death will claim us eventually just as it did with my parents and Sora's dad. No one can live forever. It's what we do with our loved ones before death that matters the most."

Olette stared in awe at the wisdom her new friend showed. Even though she assumed they were around the same age, Kairi's view of life differed from her own greatly. Where she practically took life for granted, however difficult it was at times, Kairi seemed to cherish every single moment, accepting the fact that one's life could end the very next moment.

Against such wisdom, not even Aqua could find any flaws in Kairi's logic. Yet, she wished that the girl, younger than her by at least ten years, would not be so quick to accept death like an old woman. The knowledge that death is always lurking shouldn't be something that would indirectly affect her decisions in life.

"Well," Aqua smiled weakly, standing up to return to her seat at dinner. Kairi could see that the blue-haired woman didn't entirely understand her reasoning between life and death. She couldn't fault her; Sora didn't understand why she treated life the way she did after her own parents had died. "I'm going to go back to my table and eat. We'll be heading back after then."

"It is getting late." Kairi nodded in agreement. "I'll probably leave soon."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yup," the redhead beamed happily. She picked up the half-finished cup of tea and drank the last of the amber brew, savoring the cooled liquid like the nectar of the gods. She had always loved tea, but the types of tea that they commonly drank in Balamb Garden were rare in Hollow Bastion, mostly reserved for the plutocratic upper class. Even with the money that the prince had given to them, she didn't think they'd be able to afford even a decent sized tin. The fact that the Balamb flower tea was served at this dinner attested to the wealth the ruling family had—all at the expense of their subjects.

She breathed a sigh of relief and set the cup down, her smile showing her disappointment that the tea was all gone. Still, she was glad to have enjoyed at least one more cup of Balamb flower tea since their exile from their homeland.

"You'll be heading back now then?" Olette asked as she looked at her new friend. Had Kairi not been so focused on the tea, she would have noticed the sienna-haired girl's attention staying on Aqua longer than considered normal.

"I should get out before the gates close for the night," Kairi answered with a nod. "I don't live within the walls."

"Ah," Olette nodded in understanding. "I won't keep you then. But, shouldn't you wait for Sarah?"

"Sarah lives within the city. And I'll be fine on my own. Everyone in Twilight Town knows me well enough that they watch out for me even when the town's asleep."

"Sarah is already on her way home anyways," Roxas's voice cut into the conversation as he rejoined them at the table, a pair of familiar white gloves in one hand. "Said that she had to get an early start on her trip tomorrow and that she'll see you in two weeks."

Kairi raised an eyebrow in question. She had thought Sora would remain at the party longer to talk to the prince. But it would appear that her "brother" was far too attached to his mother to stay away, especially at this late hour once she realized it was past midnight. She pressed her lips together, wondering if Sora would have the sense to change at the bakery or have gone straight home.

Her eyes strayed over his hand and focused upon Sora's gloves. The furrowing of brows went unnoticed.

"Did Sarah forget her gloves?" she asked, pointing at Roxas's closed hand.

"Ah, yes. I think she must have stuffed them in a pocket when I lent her my jacket," he answered.

"Would you like me to return them for you?"

Roxas smiled and shook his head. "I'd like to personally return them if you don't mind."

"Of course not," replied the red-haired girl. "It'd give you a reason to meet Sarah again, right?" She tried but was unable to stifle the girlish giggle that bubbled forth.

The prince flushed pink and looked away abashed. "Well, it's only proper for a gentleman to return things to a lady personally." They all knew the excuse held as much water as a wicker basket.

"Ven is easy to tease, isn't he, Kairi?" Olette joined in on the fun.

"Not you too, Olette," Roxas remarked with a withered look. His sienna-haired friend only grinned.

"Well, I should go now. I had a great time tonight. Thank you for giving Sarah and me your time," Kairi said. "Hopefully your king will let you out of the castle after tonight," she added in a whisper.

Roxas chuckled softly. "Knowing Xemnas, that seems unlikely; but he can't keep me in here forever."

"Good-bye," the redhead gave a short curtsey before she departed, running through the garden and the castle to hopefully reach Sora at the bakery in time.

* * *

When Kairi arrived at the bakery, Sora was thankfully still there. He was stuck trying to get the corset off of himself, but he apparently wasn't flexible enough to reach the knot that secured the corset around him. With a stifled giggle, the girl quickly approached the struggling boy and loosened the corset for him.

"Thanks, Kairi," Sora said with a blush, "I was about to give up and just go home."

The red-haired girl scoffed playfully. "You _were_ going to wait for me, riiight?"

"Well, now that you're here, of course," murmured the brown-haired teen.

"I'll be quick."

Indeed, it wasn't long before the two teens were well on their way back home. There were still guards at the gates, but they obviously had their shares of the festivities with their unusual merriment.

Twilight Town was filled with drunken songs in the air as the partygoers slowly made their way home. The few people who didn't attend the party all reacted differently to their returning neighbors: some were disgruntled, others amused.

The pair entered their home to find Dajh asleep next to the central fire in Sora's mother's lap. She had stayed up to wait for them along with Sazh, who had been relating a story when the two teens entered.

"Guess we should be heading back then," the dark-skinned man grinned as he reached for his son.

"You don't have to go," frowned Kairi.

"You know as well as I do that Dajh would hate to miss your story about the ball," Lady Sarah smiled. "Thank you, Sazh."

"My pleasure, milady," the gangly man nodded his head toward them in respect. "Good night, Sora, Kairi." The man then carried his precious son out of the Caelum residence to return to his own house nearby.

"Good night," the brown-haired teen replied for all of them. "I think we should go sleep now. We still have a bakery to open."

"Awww," Kairi pouted, her shoulders slumping in disappointment, "I was hoping we'd have a day off."

Lady Sarah giggled softly at her goddaughter. "Your customers would be very disappointed if you didn't open."

"That's true," the red-haired girl nodded. "I just hope I don't fall asleep in the middle of the day."

Sora laughed. "I think I'd be the one dozing off."

"Well, open an hour late wouldn't kill anyone," Lady Sarah suggested as she made to stand up from her seat near the central hearth.

"There are still regulars who come by early," Sora pointed out, helping his mother to go back to her room. "Can't disappoint them."

"Yup," yawned Kairi. "We'll tell you all about the ball tomorrow."

The mother laughed softly. "I look forward to it."

* * *

It was midday when the terrible news came, when Dajh raced down the streets of the marketplace to reach the bakery.

"Sora, Sora!" he cried, tears brimming at the edges of his eyes. Sora immediately dropped what he was doing and knelt down as the boy skidded to a stop in front of him.

"What is it, Dajh?" he asked in concern, placing his hands on the boy. "What happened?"

"The Lady Panteer," Dajh said, panting in between words. "She sold dad to pay her taxes! He's going to be sent to the mines!"

The two teens looked at each other in alarm. "Are you sure about this, Dajh?"

The boy nodded vigorously. "I heard that Lord Xaldin's buying up all the slaves available today."

Sora frowned deeply. There wasn't a soul in Hollow Bastion who didn't know of the source of Lord Xaldin's money: the Mythril mines far to the east at The End of the World.

"Go, Sora," Kairi said grimly. "I'll take care of the bakery until you get back." She pointed toward the hidden purse of coins that Roxas had given them. "Get Sarah."

For a moment, Sora stared at the redhead with confusion, wondering why his friend was telling him to get his mother. Then he realized that it wasn't his mother she spoke of, but "Lady Sarah Fairfarren", the only "person" they knew to be of nobility.

"But she's supposed to be…" frowned Sora before he shook his head. "Never mind, I'll figure something out. Come on, Dajh. I'm getting your dad back."

"Really?" the boy looked up at the teen with hope and awe. "Can you really do it?"

"I promise, Dajh," the brunet said confidently. "I will get your dad back. Now, come on. Let's go home first and you can wait with my mom."

The boy perked up immediately with happiness and nodded. Together, the pair made their way through the crowded town to Sora's home.

Within the hour, Sora left Dajh waiting in the main room while he made his way to his mother's chambers, pulling out one of his mother's dresses from a trunk.

"Sora?" murmured the woman sleepily as she stirred from her slumber. She yawned and quickly shook herself wide awake when she realized that it _was_ her son who was home. "What are you doing home so early?"

"Dajh can explain everything while I'm gone. Can you help me with the dress?"

"Of course."

With his mother's help, Sora quickly got into a simple dress that would suggest that "Lady Sarah" had been on a journey before she rushed back to town. His mother affixed the wig onto his head and wrapped a shawl around his shoulders with a smile on her face. To her, he looked absolutely adorable.

"Be back before you know it," Sora grinned before he swept out of the house, not bothering to say anything to Dajh as he hurried back to town toward the castle. Of course, Dajh was confused about the appearance of the unfamiliar lady, believing that Kairi had meant Sora's mother when she said to get "Sarah". It wasn't until he saw the actual Sarah following shortly behind that he realized it wasn't Lady Sarah Caelum whom Kairi and Sora were speaking of.

With whatever strength she had left, Lady Sarah leaned against the front door of their humble abode and watched as her son walked briskly—but like a lady—toward the city gates. She wished that she could be there to see his act. Still, she didn't understand why Sora was willing to risk exposure in broad daylight. It was one thing to impersonate a noble lady by night; an entirely different thing to do so during the day.

"Milady," Dajh called to her, reaching out to lend her a hand. "That woman, who is she?"

"That is Sora, my dear," the brown-haired woman smiled. "Come, help me to the fire and we can tell each other what we know about what Sora's is about to do."

Solemnly, the little boy nodded in consent and assisted the weakened lady to sit by the central fire. He stoked the fire back to life and began telling the former noble of his father's plight.

* * *

Roxas entered the courtyard accompanied by Hayner and Pence, scouting ways to slip out of the castle. A familiar voice caught his attention, causing him to furrow his brows in confusion. He followed the voice and passed the many wagons parked alongside the castle, all prepared to transport indebted men to the mines at The End of the World. While Roxas did not like the practice of what essentially was slavery, he was in no power to abolish the practice, not with Xemnas and the Council still in control.

When the commotion came into view, he raised an eyebrow at the sight, the profile of a familiar girl looking up at one of the wagon drivers who had been ready to begin his journey when the girl stood in front of the Chocobos.

"I have the money to pay for this man's debt," the girl said forcefully. "I demand that he be released!"

"Sorry, missy," the driver sneered from his seat. "Someone else has already purchased his debt. You'll have to go speak to Lord Xaldin. Now, if you'll please, I have a timeline to follow."

"Sarah?" Roxas called out to the brunette, curious what had brought her to the castle.

The girl turned around and quickly curtsied when she saw who had called her. "Your highness," she greeted.

Now that Roxas saw the face that had been half-hidden behind an artfully decorated mask, he was able to make additional thoughts regarding the lady. The face itself was framed by brown curls that shone more brilliantly under the yellow sun. The absence of powders and rouges accentuated the natural beauty in front of him. But it was the eyes that captivated his soul, the ones that shone with cheer and sincerity as they locked onto his own ice blue ones.

"Your highness," the driver acknowledged gruffly.

"What is the problem here, driver?" he asked the burly man on the wagon.

"This lady wishes to purchase the debt of a man who is to be sent to the mines," he reported. "But I cannot sell her the debt because it has already been bought by Lord Xaldin."

"Until a man has left Radiant Garden," Sarah argued, "his debt still stands. Anyone can purchase his debt. That was the edict made by the last king and his majesty has not reneged the edict. I should be allowed to purchase this man's debt regardless of who has paid for it."

"But someone has already paid," the driver argued. "It is not my decision to sell a man's debt. I am just a transporter."

Roxas searched the girl's face and found pure determination. He knew that she would do anything to free whoever it was she was paying for

"Driver," he said, keeping his eyes on Sarah. "Release him." A look of surprise appeared on the brown-haired girl's face before she smiled gratefully at him.

"But your highness," the driver started to protest.

"Did I not make myself clear?" Roxas growled in irritation. "This lady has the means to purchase the debt. Your master will be refunded for the loss. If your master has any problems with it, tell him to meet with me."

"Yes, yes, your highness," the driver blubbered before hopping down the wagon. He unlocked the cage atop the cart and pulled a gangly black man off, unlocking the shackles around his wrists and ankles. Immediately, Sarah returned the embrace the indebted man gave her and looked around with caution.

"Prepare my ride," she said confidently, "we are to return home at once."

"Yes, of course, milady," the servant said with a quick bow before he scampered off toward the exit to presumably tend to the carriage his new mistress came in. The lady handed a coin-laden brown purse over to driver and smiled weakly at the disgruntled man.

"Thank you, your highness," she said with another curtsey to the prince before she began to walk hastily toward the main gate. The prince knew that until the man was cleaned up, others could still claim him.

"Wait," Roxas called out, running the short distance to catch up to her. "How did you know about Eraqus's edict? You aren't from Hollow Bastion."

"One must be knowledgeable of the law of the land if one is to survive in another kingdom. Although I do not make it to court, I make an effort to know the rules lest some fiend dares to sabotage my business."

Roxas nodded in agreement, seeing the reasoning behind the girl's abundance of knowledge.

"By the way, didn't you say you had to leave town early for two weeks?" he asked flippantly, trying hard not to smile when the girl's face turned bright red.

"I did," she said, remembering her parting words during the previous night. "I was actually already a couple of hours away when one of the other members of my traveling party commented on the financial state of the Panteers, how the Lady Panteer was selling off her servants to pay her taxes and such. I remembered that Lord Xaldin was due in town today and so returned quickly for Sazh."

"Why?" Roxas asked as they stopped at the front gate.

"His son has already lost a mother. It would weigh on my conscience for the rest of my life if Dajh was left alone for who knows how long."

"I see," the blonde nodded in understanding. The caring nature of the teen in front of him was truly astounding. Yet, he wondered why exactly had Kairi warned him about getting too close to the mysterious lady.

"Thank you again, your highness," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "This is where I leave you."

She made to leave when Roxas reached out to stop her. Her eyes looked down at where his hand grasped onto her arm and back up at him, surprised by the prince's strange behavior.

"Wait," he said, "when can we meet again?"

The lady in front of him looked back with twinkling eyes, amused by his request. "I shall send a letter later," she replied. "You will have my answer then."

Though he was disappointed by her answer, the blonde released her and watched as she curtsied politely again and disappeared past the wooden bridge over the moat.

"Dare I say someone is in love?" Pence smirked as he and Hayner walked up next to their prince. Roxas shot him a glare, but the black-haired guard was not at all fazed.

"We'll see," Roxas murmured quietly, watching where the brown-haired girl had disappeared out of sight.

* * *

Once Sora was sure he was out of line of sight of the prince, he ran toward the side of the castle where he had told Sazh to wait for him. He looked around at the relative empty street and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the tall man step out of a side alley.

"Sora," grinned Sazh as he embraced the disguised boy gratefully again. "Thank you."

"I couldn't let you and Dajh suffer when I had the means to save you," grinned the teen. "Let's go home. I'm sure Dajh is nervously waiting for you with my mom."

The taller man nodded with a smile of his own, trailing after the richly dressed teen as a pretense of being the "lady's" servant.

With the day well underway when Sora got Sazh out of the castle, no one really paid any attention to them as they passed through the city gate toward Twilight Town. Even the shanty towns were relatively empty since the majority of people who lived there were in the city for work.

The few who remained within the decrepit slums greeted Sazh with a smile on their faces and bowed to Sora simply because of the way he was dressed and how he carried himself. Each time a peasant stopped to show his respect, the brown-haired teen smiled peacefully back and nodded his head toward them in acknowledgement.

When they came into view of Sora's home, they found Dajh and Lady Sarah sitting next to the front door. Sora's mom had the foresight to have the boy bring out the two chairs they had in the house so he would be able to see his father earlier and not be cooped up indoors with a sickly woman.

Dajh gasped in delight and hopped off of his seat to race toward his father. "Dad!" he shouted happily.

"Dajh!" Sazh replied with joy and relief that his son didn't seem as affected by his brief absence as he first feared. He ran off ahead and knelt down to embrace his son tightly.

With a brilliant smile on his face, Sora glided past the father and son as he made a beeline to his mother, who smiled proudly at her son. The fact that he had succeeded in freeing Sazh before he ended up at the mines was proof enough for Sarah that her son was able to keep up his persona even under pressure.

She embraced her son tightly, happy that he had not abandoned his and his father's heritage despite the family's disgraced exile from their homeland.

Perhaps, she needn't worry that her son and his descendants will live in obscurity. Somehow, someway, Sora will make a name for himself. Whether it be for himself or for his false identity, however, remains to be seen.

* * *

_Disclaimer: _Kingdom Hearts_ and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: Happy New Year everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out, but December's always a busy time for me. Though having my interest in Star Wars rekindled didn't exactly help with the new game, haha._

_Not much to say here, really. Wakka and Dajh get introduced, but only Dajh will show up more often in the story. Dajh is Sazh's son in Final Fantasy XIII. And if I was going to write a fanfic with Sazh in it, I would definitely include Dajh in it, haha. Lastly, the name "Panteer" is taken from _Star Wars: The Old Republic_._

_Anyways, I shall start working on the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed this one. Later!_


	8. Invitation

_To reviewers of chapter 7:_

_Phoenix-Thunder: Thanks for the compliment. Sorry I didn't update earlier._

_Lionwings: I'm a sucker for putting characters in historic settings, haha. It's too bad there aren't as many of these fics around. Maybe I'd actually start reading KH fanfics again. Ha._

_KatrinaEagle: Hehe, I know that technically neither character has met each other in the games, but I am interested in seeing how this pans out._

_99450: Indeed, playing SWTOR too, haha._

_Innocent Uke Or NOT: I didn't think Roxas would keep the gloves with him at all times as though he expected to be bumping into her the day after the ball. After all, "Sarah" was supposed to be on a trip out of town, haha._

* * *

**Invitation**

* * *

The afternoon after the ball found Roxas grudgingly answering a summons from his "father". Though he knew the king would inquire about his search for his future wife during the ball, he didn't want to let Xemnas know that there _was_ one person he was interested in.

He frowned unhappily as he leaned against the wall next to the door that connected the side room to the staged area of the throne room. He was alone, but he knew there were guards posted on the other side of the closed doors. It was all to make sure that their conversation would be private, though Roxas believed it was also to make certain the prince wouldn't try to leave before the king was done with him.

After all, he did interfere with the plans of yet another noble loyal to the king. Even if it was perfectly lawful, his recent track record didn't exactly inspire Xemnas to change his mind about keeping his heir more closely guarded.

The only thing he could exchange for his "freedom" was one name. Yet at the same time, Roxas knew that it wasn't enough. Xemnas could potentially use Sarah against him by keeping her hostage in the castle and forcing them to marry. He was that heartless.

All thoughts about his own immediate future was quickly banished when one of the side doors opened to admit the king—wearing far more jewelry than Roxas thought necessary. A servant quickly made a beeline for the small round table at one corner of the room and poured a glass of red wine out of the round flask, presenting it to the king as he took a seat. The silent man then quickly left the side room to give the king and his charge their privacy.

Roxas waited until prompted to speak.

"So," Xemnas said, swirling the contents of his glass while he stared at his heir. "I heard you've found someone at the ball."

"Perhaps, your majesty," Roxas quipped. "I would need more time."

"Oh?" the black-haired king queried with curiosity. "Are you courting this lucky lady?"

"With your permission," the prince answered with a bow.

Roxas's decision to defer to the king's authority was not lost on the crimson-eyed man. Xemnas took a long draught from his glass of wine before looking at his heir silently, his eyes evaluating the boy's appearance as if to gauge his true intentions. The silence that followed stayed a bit longer than Roxas would have liked, but the boy kept quiet.

"Why the sudden deference?" he asked bluntly, setting the empty wineglass down to focus on the teen. "Have you accepted your duties?"

"If I am to marry," the blonde replied, "then I wish to pursue my mate on my own terms."

"And that means letting you out of the castle," Xemnas concluded for him, leaning on an arm with amusement.

"Yes," Roxas confirmed with a nod.

The king stood up silently and poured himself another glass of red wine, looking at the dark liquid with intensity. He took a drink of the alcohol and swirled the contents in the glass absentmindedly. There was no way for Roxas to determine what exactly was going on in the king's mind, not after knowing that Xemnas seemed to actually entertain the idea of giving his heir his freedom back.

Of course, Roxas knew to suspect the king's ulterior motive.

"You are allowed to leave the castle," Xemnas said at long last, turning around to face the blonde. "But, you will keep your weapon to yourself and not interfere with the works of the nobility. If you value your future wife's freedom, you will abide by these requests."

Roxas stared at the older man with narrowed eyes. His hands balled into tight fists in anger, but he didn't burst. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and breathed out a shaky breath, trying to keep his composure.

"I will do as you say," he said curtly. "I will avoid your supporters."

Xemnas's smile widened triumphantly. "Excellent," he said. "Be happy that I didn't ask for the name of your future wife. I trust you will tell me her name once you are sure."

"Yes, your majesty. I will let you know." The boy bowed stiffly and took his leave, his entire body shaking with bottled fury.

The smile that had been on the king's face quickly fell once the teen was gone from the room. He took a good, long draught of the wine and slammed the glass down on the table.

"I hope you're right about this, Saïx," he said coldly as the sound of a door closing met his ears. "This is a very big risk I'm taking."

The head advisor with his light-blue hair joined Xemnas at the small table and picked up the wine flask to pour his lord another glass. His yellow eyes twinkled with mirth—the wicked glee evident in the fanged smile upon his face. "I promise you, your majesty," he said, "slowly letting him go and earning his trust will bring him to our side. You've made the right move."

Xemnas took a drink of the wine and gave his advisor a smile that promised death. "You realize, if you're wrong, you will die."

The blue-haired man's bow was graceful and free of fear. "I am willing to bet my life on this matter."

The king eyed his advisor with a frown. "You realize he is not as stupid as you think. This plan of yours isn't exactly foolproof."

"That is why, your majesty, we must move slowly. Keep him blind to the grand scheme of things. Let him think we're coming around to support him. If this fails, you can always go after his friends."

"If it resorts to that," Xemnas sneered, "you'll still die."

"Then so be it," Saïx bowed again.

* * *

Roxas stomped through the hallways after his meeting with the king, brushing past bowing servants and saluting guards without any acknowledgement. His eyes focused upon a set of straw dummies at one corner of the training grounds the moment he stepped into the sunlight. Nearby, Hayner and Pence were having a wrestling match with a few of their fellow royal guards watching.

When Roxas picked up a set of throwing knives from the weapons rack twenty yards from a dummy, the two wrestlers stopped their match to watch their prince. The angry blonde pulled a knife from the leather belt that held the throwing weapons and tossed it up. He caught the steel blade with expert practice and immediately threw it at the straw dummy, not even bothering to watch the knife hit the target before he pulled out another knife and repeated the action.

His aim was impeccable as the set of ten knives was soon spent. Each knife landed on the dummy's torso, with one directly in the dummy's "throat". A round of applause filled the air and quickly ceased when the prince raised a hand, waving it to signal to his audience to return to what they were doing. He stomped over to the dummy and pulled the knives out to be replaced on the belt.

"One of these days you're going to cut yourself," Pence commented with a frown as he looked at Roxas's unprotected hand. The blonde looked at him and gave a sideway smirk.

"And to be quite honest," Roxas answered, "I really wouldn't care. Come on, Pence. You know I'm careful with these."

"But you also get hotheaded like Hayner," the guard replied quietly.

"So?" Hayner interrupted before his friends went into a discussion over Roxas's choice of venting. "What did _he_ do to make you come down?"

Roxas didn't answer immediately, returning to the previous spot where he had been standing. He pulled a knife out and set the belt in the outstretched hands of Hayner, who watched his prince closely but didn't say a word. The blonde traced the edge of the knife with a finger, quietly evaluating the weapon. The edges weren't sharp enough to slice through butter cleanly, but Roxas knew that the weapon was still dangerous if enough force was applied to it-such as stabbing or when thrown.

He flipped the knife up so he was holding the blade portion and let the knife fly. If the straw dummy had been a real person, the knife would have blinded the man in one eye as it landed with a crackle.

He quickly reached for another knife and evaluated it with the same expert eye as he did with the first one.

"He's letting me out of the castle," the morose blonde finally answered his friend's question.

"That's great news!" Hayner remarked. "Though, even I will have to admit, it seems highly uncharacteristic of him to change his mind so abruptly." He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You didn't-"

Another crackle cut off whatever Hayner had wanted to say. This time, the knife had landed right down the middle of the dummy's torso. "No," the prince replied, shaking his head. "I didn't tell him about Sarah."

"What's the condition then? What did he ask for in exchange for your freedom?" Pence asked, taking Roxas's place with one of the knives in his hand. He focused intensely on the target and threw the dagger.

Simultaneously, all three teens winced when they saw where the knife landed.

"Getting… better…" the blue-eyed blonde remarked hesitantly, struggling to find the right words without being too blunt.

The black-haired guard scoffed. "No need to sugar-coat it," he replied with a shrug, "I suck at throwing weapons. I can't understand why you can't just use bow and arrows."

"Harder to conceal," Roxas easily answered.

"Look on the bright side," Hayner began, pulling the knife Pence threw from where it landed below the belt, "no man would want to be your target if all of your throws end up castrating the guy. I know I certainly wouldn't. I would like some kids in the future."

"By gods," Pence exclaimed incredulously, "can you imagine a bunch of Hayner juniors running around here?"

"Hey…" the sandy-haired teen glared at his friend. Pence simply grinned in return.

Roxas stifled a snicker and took his place again to throw another dagger. "Anyway," he lined up and aimed the dagger directly at the dummy's chest, landing it where the heart would be with master precision. "I'm not supposed to interfere with whatever _his_ people are doing."

Hayner grimaced with an "ugh". "That's terrible."

"I might as well impose the ban on myself," Roxas replied with a lackadaisical shrug.

"But what about Sarah?" Pence asked. "You can't possibly be asking her to come to the castle every time you want to meet."

Roxas heaved a great sigh, pausing in throwing yet another knife at the straw training dummy. He lowered his throwing arm and placed the dagger back into its slot on the leather belt. "I'll figure it out when I see her. I have two weeks to prepare myself before she's back in town anyway. That'll be enough time for me to sort things out."

"That's assuming she'll go back on her trip," Hayner remarked.

"She's a businesswoman, Hayner," Pence replied. "She wouldn't put off her trip if she's been successful. I've heard that amongst entrepreneurs, time is money. Of course, you wouldn't know much about spending time efficiently, Hay."

The sandy-haired guard glared at his friend. "Call me 'Hay' again and I'll melt your sword down, Dense."

"You want to have a go, man?" The two teens both crouched lower to wrestle again.

"If you're going to fight, go back to the ring," Roxas pointed out, getting ready to head back to the castle. Before he knew it, he was lifted off of his feet, flipped over something—or someone, and landed on his back.

Sprawled out on the dirt ground, the prince blinked blankly at the sky for several moments. He didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that one of his friends had basically ambushed him. He watched as clouds rolled past with a brisk wind and snorted in amusement.

He jumped acrobatically onto his feet and looked at his friends with the roguish smile that Hayner and Pence returned. "Time to teach you guys some lessons," he said, taking off the thick black jacket he had on and tossing it over onto where the belt of throwing knives sat on top of a table.

"Don't hold back now," Hayner challenged.

"I should be the one to say that," grinned Roxas.

* * *

It was almost mid-afternoon when Sora finally managed to get back to the bakery. He had expected to see Kairi at the front, but instead found Riku manning the counter while the former was finishing up the final batch of bread they needed to bake for the day.

"Hey, Sora!" Riku waved with a grin on his face. "Is Sazh?"

The brunet returned the grin and gave him a thumbs-up. "Of course. Got him out."

"You're going to have to tell me how you did that," he remarked, moving aside for Sora to take over.

"Connections, Riku, connections," winked Sora. "You know."

"Where's Sazh?" Kairi asked as she joined them at the front with a tray of sheepherder's bread in her hands.

"Home," answered Sora, taking the tray of bread from his friend. "He's going to cook dinner for all of us tonight."

"Mmm," the redhead uttered almost dreamily. "I hope he'll make his scrumptious potpie."

"He'd have to bake it here, don't you think?" teased Sora.

"A minor logistics inconvenience," Kairi waved off his point flippantly. Riku laughed.

"I'd hate to see what you consider a major inconvenience." The girl only stuck her tongue out childishly at him. "Anyway," he continued, "I'll head back to Aqua's."

"Thanks for helping, Riku!" The silver-haired teen waved back with a smile.

Once their friend was out of sight, Kairi looked back at Sora expectantly. "So, are you going to tell me what happened?"  
Sora paused in what he had been doing, the blush on his face telling Kairi that the brunet must have bumped into a certain someone while he was at the castle.

"I need you to send a letter for me," Sora murmured, the blush refusing to fade from his face.

"Oh?" Kairi raised an eyebrow in question, bewildered by her friend's sudden request.

"I told Ven that I was going to send him a letter later," the boy confessed, the redness on his face darkening as he relayed the entire exchange between himself and the prince to Kairi.

The red-haired girl's blue eyes twinkled with amusement as she listened attentively. "So what did you want the letter to say?" she asked.

"Um…" Sora hummed thoughtfully, making strange faces as he attempted to find the words that would be appropriate in a lady's letter to a gentleman.

"How about, 'Thank you once again for your assistance at the castle'," Kairi suggested.

"In response to your earlier question, I will be delaying my trip by a week in order to secure a permanent job for my friend," continued Sora. He looked at Kairi with a worried frown on his face. "When do you think I should meet him?"

Kairi shrugged. "I've manned the bakery on my own before, remember?"

"But I probably will be away for an entire day."

She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled happily at him. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Go and have fun with Ven. Besides, since Sazh will be eager to find a better job, what better place than to work with us at the bakery?"

Sora blinked in surprise at her suggestion. "You want to start selling other stuff besides bread?"

"Why not?" grinned the girl. "Sazh's pies would be a hit in the market, don't you think?"

Suddenly, the brown-haired boy narrowed his sapphire eyes in suspicion. "Are you sure you're not just planning to indulge yourself on Sazh's pies?"

Kairi scoffed indignantly at his insinuation. "So what if I really like the savory pies?" she quipped. "You do too!"

Sora laughed. "Yes, I do. But, it'll be a good expansion. Hope we don't have to find a larger place."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "If the time comes that we have to move, we'll move. But for now, pick the day you want to meet with him."

"How about… in two days," the boy finally answered after thinking. "We'll get Sazh settled in tomorrow and I'll go meet with Ven the day after."

"Okay," Kairi grinned. She silently mouthed the words that should be on the letter a couple of times, memorizing the sentences for the brief message. "I'll head to Quistis's."

"Oh, here," Sora added, pulling the stamp that bore the Fairfarren's emblem from his pocket. "To seal the letter."

Kairi took the old stamp from him and brushed over the intricate design with her fingers. With a smile, she pocketed the stamp and grabbed the money needed for the delivery and the bakery supplies.

"I'll be back soon," she grinned. "Need to get some semolina flour."

"Okay," Sora nodded in understanding. He watched as Kairi disappeared into the crowd, the smile on his face wavering with nervousness over his meeting with the prince. Shaking off the flutters within his body, he turned his attention back to business and smiled brightly at passerby, calling to potential customers with his cheery voice.

* * *

"You're all idiots. You know that, right?" Olette huffed with annoyance as she dropped the bucket of cold water onto the ground. She dunked several towels into the water and wrung the excess liquid out of the individual towels, slapping them onto the bruises and aching muscles the boys had brought on themselves during their rough hand-to-hand combat.

"Ow, ow, ow," Pence whined as cold water trailed down from his shoulder underneath his shirt. It didn't help that Olette wasn't too gentle in laying down the wet towel.

"Ah, you big baby," the sienna-haired girl chastised.

"Can't you be just a bit gentler?" Hayner winced with a hiss. Olette was relentless in expressing her disapproval of the obvious macho-macho display the three boys engaged in.

"You deserved it," she remarked curtly.

She turned her attention to the boy who was lying face down on the only bed in the room. To be quite honest, the servant girl was amazed that they had managed to get all the way up to Roxas's room. The prince was silent, but Olette knew that he had his shares of bruises and aches as the other two.

"Don't you dare, Olette," Roxas's voice came muffled from the pillow. The girl didn't heed his warning, having known the boy to have more bark than bite when it came to his friends, and tossed a cold wet towel onto the boy's back.

"Ack," winced Roxas, reaching back to grab the towel and chucked it back in Olette's direction. She correctly predicted the prince's reaction and ducked out of the way, stifling a snicker when the towel hit Pence right in the face.

"Dammit, Roxas!" the black-haired teen cried in dismay. Muttering under his breath, he tossed the towel back into the bucket of cold water, tending his bruises in irritation. The blonde didn't even respond.

"It's only going to get worse if you don't deal with it right now," Olette remarked, dropping another towel onto the boy's back. Groaning loudly, Roxas grabbed the towel and gingerly sat up, wincing as his back ached from all the times Hayner pushed him against the fencing around the wrestling ring because he could never pin the agile prince down. He watched as Olette wrung out another cold towel and slapped it against Hayner's lower back.

"Damn, woman!" the sandy-haired guard exclaimed with a jump. "Do you understand the meaning of 'mercy'!"

"Keep whining and I'll pommel your back myself," the girl threatened, her narrowed eyes shining with the fire of fury. "You don't want a more mottled back, do you?"

"You're heartless, Olette," Pence muttered, shrinking under her angry glare.

"Honestly," the sienna-haired girl replied, her hands balled into loose fists on her hips, "how did you expect me to act if you three keep behaving like knuckleheads!"

Roxas smirked at his pouting friend. "We're boys, Olette. What did you expect?"

"Maybe less brawn and more brains," she remarked with a derisive sniff.

A series of knocks on the door interrupted whatever discussion they would have had. The servant girl wiped her hands on the apron over her skirt and went over to the door, a look of confusion replacing the furious expression on her face. She opened the door just a sliver and peeked through the crack to find a young boy dressed in the outfit of pages—kids who delivered letters within the city walls—on the other side.

She opened the door slightly more to show her face. "Can I help you?" she asked, smiling gently at the unfamiliar boy.

"I was told to deliver this letter to you," the boy, around the age of seven or eight, answered as he held the wax-sealed letter out.

She accepted the letter from him and looked at the name on the envelope. The name "Ventus" was written in neat script. She knew then who it was from. "Thank you."

"It's a pleasure, milady," the boy replied with a respectful bow. Olette giggled at the boy's misconception, believing her to be of nobility rather than a servant like himself.

"Wait a second, please," she said, staying the confused boy while she dug through her pockets to produce a silver coin. She gave him the ten gil coin, much to his astonishment, and said, "Get yourself and your friends some treats."

"Thank you, milady!" the boy said excitedly, bowing yet again before dashing away. Olette could only shake her head, amused at the misplaced deference she received from the child. But then again, he didn't exactly see her servant uniform.

She closed the door behind her and looked at the seal of the letter, an unfamiliar emblem imprinted in the red wax. The script on the front of the letter lacked the frivolities that were common amongst Hollow Bastion scripts, but it was considerably neater than her own handwriting.

"Letter for you," she stated as she handed over the letter. "I think it's from Sarah."

Roxas raised an eyebrow and removed the towel on his back to accept the letter. He inspected the seal on the wax and furrowed his brows. He, too, did not recognize the emblem, but Olette made the correct assumption when he saw the name on the front of the folded letter.

He broke the seal and unfolded the paper, his eyes going back and forth as he read the short message. A wide smile appeared on his face and his eyes twinkled with excitement.

"Good news?" Olette asked, noting the smile.

"You're right; it's from Sarah," Roxas answered. "She said she's delaying her trip by a week to get the man she saved settled into a more secure job."

"Huh," Pence uttered lamely.

"Guess you're wrong about that dumb saying," remarked Hayner with a snort.

"Whatever." The black-haired teen rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"She's coming to meet me in two days," the prince added, ignoring the confrontational exchange between his friends.

The annoyance that had previously dictated Olette's actions quickly faded like steam as her eyes lit up with girlish giddiness.

"Oh!" she clapped her hands together. "Can we go with you?"

"Let the man be, Olette," Hayner said. "You really want to play third wheel to what is obviously an alone time for them."

The sienna-haired girl childishly blew a raspberry at her childhood friend. "And what about Kairi and Sora? You don't think they'll come?"

"She didn't say they'd be here, Olette," Roxas interjected.

"Besides, they'd still be working at the bakery," added Pence.

Olette pouted in disappointment, but she wasn't going to argue against that. "Fine," she said. "But where are you going to take her?"

"No idea yet." Roxas shrugged his shoulders, wincing as a muscle protested with a twinge. "I'll figure it out when I see her. Until then," he stood up and hissed as he tested his limbs, "I'll have to rest."

He plopped back down on his bed and sighed dramatically, earning him soft laughter from his friends. He deliberately ignored them and covered his head with his pillow.

* * *

_Disclaimer: _Kingdom Hearts_ and its associated characters and motifs do not belong to me. I only own a copy of the games and this fanfic._

_A/N: Blah, got sidetracked during January, but I finally got this chapter out. Hope you all enjoyed it._

_Just a sort-of "filler" chapter to set up the next one with Sora and Roxas's "date", haha, so not much to say. The only new name/reference made in this chapter is Quistis from Final Fantasy VIII._

_Not sure yet as to when I'll have the next chapter out since I did get Final Fantasy XIII-2 and will be playing through it over the weekends. I'll write out snippets here and there, but I probably won't update before Valentine's Day. I will most likely have a drabble out on Valentine's Day just to join in the fun though, so hope you'll look forward to that._

_As usual, questions and comments are welcome. Until the next update, everyone!_


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